


Caught in the Crossfire

by secretlywritessmut



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mob, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Sex, Bottom Eren Yeager, Criminal Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Eren Is a Little Shit, Eventual Smut, First Time, Frottage, Gang Violence, Gun Violence, M/M, Minor Character Death, Non-Graphic Violence, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Resolved Sexual Tension, Sexual Tension, Smut, Top Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), questionable morals
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-13
Updated: 2018-03-14
Packaged: 2018-12-01 13:37:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 24,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11487483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/secretlywritessmut/pseuds/secretlywritessmut
Summary: Eren Jaeger is a spoiled brat whose dull, pampered life is shaken up when he’s kidnapped by a group of dangerous men following his father's disappearance.





	1. Waking Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic was inspired by the song "Crossfire" by Stephen, you should give it a listen if you haven't heard it before :D

"Pass the chips," Eren said, lazily nudging Jean with his foot from the other side of the couch.

Jean made a sound of disgust as he looked at the dirty sock digging into his leg and tossed the open bag at Eren who fumbled it, spilling Doritos all over himself. 

"The fuck, Jean? I said pass them not throw them," the brunet growled, trying in vain to brush the cheese dust off his black t-shirt. He gave his friend a dirty look and Jean shot one right back.

"Well, try asking nicely for once in your life. Didn't your mom teach you any manners?"

Eren stilled, his eyes narrowing darkly and Jean immediately regretted his words. 

"Sorry, man, I didn't mean to... sorry."

Jean never apologized for anything, so Eren figured he must really feel bad and decided to let it go. He sighed as he sat up, stray chips and crumbs falling to the floor. 

"It's alright," he said. "I know you don't think before you speak. Or at all, really."

Jean huffed a short laugh. "Fuck you," he said without venom.

They sat in silence again, Eren staring intently at the movie playing on the giant TV and snacking on whatever was left at the bottom of the chip bag while Jean paid more attention to his phone.

"Ju wanna play games?" Eren mimicked the actor on screen, loading an imaginary gun and turning to aim it at his friend. He frowned when he saw Jean wasn't even paying attention.

"C'mon dude, this is the best part! You're supposed to watch!"

Jean smiled stupidly at his phone, shrugging as he said, "Nah, I gotta go. I told Mikasa I'd come and see her."

"What?" Eren demanded indignantly. "Why?"

Jean simply raised a brow and Eren scrunched up his nose in distaste. 

"To think you totally could've had a chance with her," Jean said in a mock-wistful tone as he stood and pocketed his phone.

"Gross. She's like my sister," Eren replied, not moving from his slouched position. "Also, there's the whole being gay thing."

"Ah, right," Jean nodded, as if he'd forgotten. 

As expected, Eren didn't get up to see him out, so Jean made his way to the front entrance, calling a "see ya later" over his shoulder. As he was pulling on his coat, he glanced out the window and saw a car parked in front of the house, but the tint was too dark to see if anyone was inside.

"Hey, Eren?" he shouted, waiting for a reply.

"What?" Eren yelled back.

"Did you order food?"

There was a long pause before he heard the sound of Eren's socked feet padding down the hall. His eyes followed Jean's line of sight and he frowned. The car was way too sleek and expensive-looking to be a delivery vehicle. 

"That's weird," he said, squinting to try and make out the model. "My dad said he wouldn't be back until Friday."

"It's probably not him. He'd park in the driveway, wouldn't he?"

That was true. People didn't park on the street in this neighborhood, not with their cars costing twice the average person's annual salary. Maybe they were just lost. Then again, now that he thought about it, it was the third time this week that he'd seen an unknown car parked on the road. The other's had been just a few houses up or down the way, but this one was right in front of his yard.

"Well!" Jean sighed abruptly, breaking Eren out of his thoughts. "Have a good night, man!"

He clapped Eren roughly on the back and the shorter man made a face. 

"Have a terrible night, you ditcher."

"Oh, please! Like you wouldn't ditch me too if you had the chance at a hot piece of ass!" Jean said with a laugh as he stepped out the door and walked down to the driveway where his much less flashy Honda sat behind Eren's metallic yellow BMW (a colour Jean had said resembled baby poop, but obviously he was just jealous.)

Eren watched his friend drive away and took one last look at the mystery car before closing the door and returning to the couch to finish the rest of his movie. He guzzled down the last dregs of his pop, tossing the empty can onto the coffee table, only to watch it fall off and roll across the floor. Eren didn't bother picking it up; the new housekeeper, Amelia or Annette or whatever her name was, would clean it up tomorrow. Instead, he flopped down across the plush cushions, his droopy eyelids closing, and was snoring within minutes.

Eren didn't know how long he's slept for, but when he opened his eyes again it was pitch black, the TV having gone into rest mode. He had an icky feeling that something was wrong but before he had a chance to analyze it, the lamp in the corner was flicked on. 

Eren bolted upright, ready to scream, but a large, clammy hand wrapped around his mouth from behind, muffling any sound. The man standing by the lamp walked over, the gun in his hand trained on Eren.

"Stay right there and keep quiet or I'll shoot, you got it?" He said, sounding much calmer than Eren felt, but the brunet nodded, breathing harshly through his nose, angry tears prickling at his eyes. He'd watched countless movies with gun violence, played tons of first-person shooter games but he'd never seen a gun in real life until now, and being on the wrong end of one was terrifying.

"Good. Now, where's Grisha?"

The hand clamped over his mouth fell away and Eren looked over at the other man who was now sitting on the arm of the couch, pulling a pack of smokes out of his pocket. For an absurd moment, he wanted to tell the guy not to smoke in the house, but quickly remembered the situation and turned back to the first man.

"M-my dad? I-I haven't seen him since Sunday," he managed to get out, eyes flicking back and forth between the gun barrel and the man's face, trying to commit it to memory to describe to the police later, assuming he'd have that chance.

The gun-wielding man was handsome in a conventional way, with a goatee and blond hair pulled into a low ponytail. The other man had a mousy-coloured undercut and a puffy, mean-looking face. Eren guessed he'd been smoking for years, if the creases around his mouth and eyes were anything to go by.

"Is that so?" The puffy-faced man asked, but he was looking at the blond instead of Eren. "He ditched the kid, probably long-gone by now."

The blond man heaved a sigh, taking another step toward Eren and bending down, tilting the gun so it was pressed to the side of the brunet's head. "You telling the truth?"

“I swear!" Eren shouted, forgetting to be quiet in his panic. "He said th-there was a medical conference, or something, a-and he wouldn't be back until Friday!"

A few moments of tense silence passed, the blond man's pale brown eyes boring into Eren's teal ones, as if searching for answers. Eren thought he might pass out soon, either that or piss himself, but finally the man backed off and he exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

“This kid doesn't know shit," He said to his partner, who nodded and dropped his half-smoked cigarette into an empty Coke can.

“Should we kill him?"

Eren's breath hitched at that, eyes wide, and blood running cold.

"Nah, the boss is gonna want him alive," the blonde replied, turning to Eren again. "You're coming with us, kid."

"Wh-where?" Eren questioned, but his only answer was a swift punch to the jaw and everything went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first ereri fic! Hopefully you got through the first chapter and didn't find it too boring, the story picks up soon. 
> 
> Let me know what you think :)


	2. Tyranny

He woke up in the backseat of a car, his sweaty cheek stuck to the leather seat, hands and feet bound together behind his back. The position was uncomfortable. His shoulders ached from being pulled back and the pain in his jaw radiated through his skull. The tape over his mouth muffled a groan as he squeezed his eyes shut again.

"Almost there, kid." Undercut said over his shoulder from the passenger seat. "Though I wouldn't get too excited if I were you. I don't know what the boss has planned, but it ain't gonna be better than what you're dealing with right now."

Another jolt of fear ripped through him and Eren began to squirm, fighting the ropes around his wrists and ankles, screaming his throat raw in frustration as they dug into his skin.

"Look what you did, Oluo! He was quiet but you just had to get him all worked up," The blond man scolded. 

A gun was in Eren's face again and he went rigid at the sound of the safety clicking off.

"Shut up and be thankful we didn't put you in the trunk."

Tears slid over the bridge of Eren's nose and dropped onto the seat, making it cold and slippery and even more uncomfortable. He had no idea what was going on. He was so confused and scared, but more than anything he was furious. He didn't know what he wanted more, an explanation as to why this was happening, or just to be able to bash this man's stupid, puffy face in.

Soon the car slowed to a stop. The engine was cut and both men got out, coming around to pull Eren out of the backseat by his arms, before dropping him unceremoniously onto the ground. Eren guessed they were in an alley, judging by the garbage bins lining the brick wall across from them.

The rope holding his feet together was cut and Eren grunted in relief as his back was released from its bowed position. The man named Oluo yanked him up by his shirt and Eren took the opportunity to headbutt him, his forehead slamming into the man's nose. There was a wet snap and the man cried out, clutching his face.

Instantly, Eren was pinned against the trunk of the car by the blond, his already sore head smacking against the metal. 

"You really don't want to cooperate, do you?"

Eren answered by stomping his foot down on the blond's shiny dress shoe, causing him to loosen his hold enough for Eren to turn around and knee him square in the crotch. He groaned and doubled over, spitting into the dirt, but Eren had no chance to run as Oluo already had his gun drawn and pointed at him again. He felt good though. If they killed him, at least he won't have died without putting up a fight.

“Let's just shoot him, Eld," Oluo said, his free hand still clamped over his bleeding nose. "Tell the boss no one was there. The kid's no fucking use anyway."

Eld ignored him, slowly regaining his composure and standing as upright as he could manage. He spun Eren around, grabbing him roughly by the arms and began leading him toward a heavy, black door and Eren was pleased to feel that he was limping. He still had a lot more fight in him, but the barrel of the gun brushed against his scalp every few steps and knew that even if this “boss” guy wanted him alive, Oluo's patience had run out and he'd surely be painting the ground with Eren's brains if he tried anything else.

Eld reached over Eren's shoulder to knock on the door. Several raps of his knuckles in a weird rhythm. It reminded Eren of morse code and he figured that's what it was, a code. The door swung out, held open by another man with dark brown hair and a heavy brow. 

As they walked past, Eren heard Oluo mutter "don't ask" to the dark-haired man who'd eyed his broken nose with a raised brow. They walked up a flight of stairs and down a hallway with nice hardwood floors and wallpaper that was in good shape, if a little outdated. Eren hadn't known what he'd been expecting. If these guys were mob, shouldn't he be in a warehouse out in the middle of nowhere? This building looked like it could be an office of some kind. Maybe that was their cover, he thought.

They stopped in front of another, much nicer door and the dark-haired man knocked.

"Come in," said a low voice.

Oluo and Eld shoved Eren past the threshold immediately pushed him down on his knees in the center of the room. One of them, Eld he guessed, began binding his ankles again, looping another piece of rope through the ones around his wrists. At least there was a rug in here so his knees wouldn't be too sore, like the rest of his body already was. 

He glanced around, seeing that he had been right about the office thing. There was a desk, some chairs, bookshelves, a filing cabinet, two windows with the curtains drawn. This "boss" guy could be an accountant or a lawyer for all he knew. Did his dad screw over a lawyer? Did lawyers kidnap people? Eren shook his head at the thought. No, that was silly. This was all just a misunderstanding. A really, really terrible misunderstanding.

Eren looked to the opposite side of the room to see a pretty redhead sitting on a loveseat, flipping through some papers in her lap.

"The hell happened to you two?" 

Eren’s attention was redirected toward the same bored voice that had called them in and noticed a short, black-haired man stand up from the chair behind the desk. If the situation wasn't so dire, he might've swooned because this guy was beautiful, albeit a little intimidating, with his steel grey bedroom eyes and broad shoulders. Was he the "boss" the other two kept talking about?

Remembering said men were still in the room, Eren glanced behind him to see Oluo wiping at his nose with a handful of tissues and Eld bent over, bracing himself against the wall and cupping his crotch. Eren let out a breathy snicker through his nose.

"I need some ice," the blond hissed.

The short man finally looked down at Eren, his lips curling in disgust as his eyes trailed over him, pausing to inspect the orange cheese dust on his shirt. 

"The kid's filthy, what'd you two do to him?" 

“He looked like that when we got him," Eld croaked out.

“I take it Grisha wasn't there?"

Both men shook their heads.

"Alright, go get cleaned up. Petra, set Oluo's nose."

The redhead looked up from her papers and grimaced at the sight of Oluo, muttering a soft, "Sure thing, Levi."

"Watch yourself around this one, boss. He's a little shit," Oluo said, giving Eren a shove to the back of the head before leaving. Eren glared after him, even as the door slipped shut. The sound of fingers snapping caught his attention and he turned back to see the short man squatting in front of him. The tape was ripped from his face, pulling a pained cry from his lips.

"Hurts more if you do it slowly," Levi said, unfazed by the fierce scowl aimed his way.

Eren blinked away tears as the shorter man stood again, making his way back to the desk to lean against the edge. 

"So, Eren," he began, crossing his arms over his chest and Eren was too distracted by the man's muscular forearms to wonder how he knew his name. "How much do you know about what your dad does for a living?"

"He's a doctor, a-a surgeon," Eren managed, his voice hoarse from his earlier screaming.

"No, he _was_ a doctor. He lost his license years ago. Surely you know that?"

Eren's eyes widened and he shook his head.

“After your mom died, your dad wasn't doing too well, hm? Started drinking a lot?" The man made the statement sound like a question and Eren just gave a weak shrug. While his mom was dying of cancer in the hospital, and afterward, he'd stayed with his grandparents for nearly a whole year. He hadn't seen much of his dad during that time.

“Well, there was a malpractice suit against him and he lost his license. Long story short, he was desperate, about to lose his house and everything in it, so my uncle Kenny gave him a job. It's rough in this line of work, people get stabbed or shot, and you can't go to a hospital because the cops get involved. Having someone around with medical expertise is good, having an ex surgeon is even better. He worked with us up until last week." 

Eren's heart was pounding in his throat. He had been completely unaware of all this. As far as he'd known, his dad still worked at the Sina Medical Center and all of their money was just the hard-earned salary of a renowned surgeon. How could his father keep him in the dark about all this for so long?

Levi fixed Eren with a thoughtful gaze and continued, "Someone tipped off some rivals of ours and a deal was intercepted, Kenny was killed and your dad made off with a shitload of cash that doesn't belong to him. If word gets out, we're gonna be a laughing stock. It's not good for business; you get fucked over once and then everyone thinks they can do it. I need to know where your dad is, so I can make an example of him."

"I already told the other guys, I don't know where he is!" Eren shouted, becoming agitated again. Didn't they understand that he knew _nothing?_

“Well, that's unfortunate for you," Levi calmly replied. "Because you're going to have to take his place."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think!


	3. Refuge

“What do you mean?” Eren asked. “I don’t know anything about that medical stuff! I don’t even know how to do stitches!”

Levi rolled his eyes. “I know that. I wouldn’t let you near any of my men with a cotton swab, let alone a needle. You seem pretty fucking useless in general. You ever shot a gun before?”

Eren opened his mouth, about to tell the man how good he was at Call of Duty, but he thought better of it and simply shook his head.

Levi pursed his lips. “Can you cook? Clean?”

“We always had a housekeeper,” Eren mumbled, feeling his cheeks burn, though he didn’t know why. He’d never been ashamed of his privileged upbringing before. “And... I, uh, I’ve never made anything more than cup noodles.”

“Jesus Christ, kid! Can you even wipe your own ass?” Levi asked, sounding exasperated.

Eren looked indignant, trying to think of a witty comeback. Nothing crossed his mind, however, so he fixed the man with his best glare instead. It didn’t seem to have much of an effect. 

“I hope that’s a yes because God knows no one here is doing that for you," Levi said, and Eren thought he saw the corner of his lip twitch.

“How long do you plan on keeping me here?” Eren asked. He needed to know what was going to happen to him. Deep down he knew there was no way they would let him leave now. Even if his father returned, he was probably going to die at the hands of this man sooner or later.

“As long as it takes for Grisha to come looking for you,” the man replied, staring down at him with that bored gaze. 

Eren scoffed, eyes darting to the ground. To be honest, he wasn’t sure that his father would come looking for him at all. Ever since his mother had died, he hadn’t been very involved in Eren’s life, beyond making sure that he had food and clothes and plenty of spending money, as if cash could replace his presence. He'd spent more time around their housekeepers through his teen years and even they didn’t want to stick around for more than a few months.

There was a knock at the door and Levi stepped swiftly around Eren to open it. 

"What is it?" He asked, and Eren saw Oluo and Eld standing on the other side, the blond man held an ice pack to his groin and Oluo with a thick bandage over his nose.

“What are we gonna do with the brat?” Oluo asked, clearly having a few ideas of his own as he glared down at Eren, cracking his knuckles menacingly.

“Nothing,” came Levi’s reply and Eren looked as confused as the other two. 

“There's nothing we can do right now but keep him and hope Grisha comes looking for him. If he trips up, and we find out where he's hiding, we can always send him his son's fingers in the mail."

The last bit had Oluo smirking and Eren's heart stuttered with fear.

Levi closed the door again and turned back to Eren as he pulled a switchblade from his pocket, a flash of metal appearing with a click. Eren eyed the blade with trepidation.

"Please don’t take my fingers," he whimpered, internally kicking himself for sounding so weak.

Levi scoffed and knelt down to cut the ropes binding the brunet’s ankles. “I don’t want to hurt you. You’re just a kid and believe it or not, even I have standards.”

“But you’re not above kidnapping? Eren asked, rolling his eyes. “This is very traumatizing for me, you know. I was supposed to go to university in the fall. I had plans for my future, and stuff.”

“And stuff,” Levi repeated, sounding amused again. Eren was getting a little annoyed with his mocking tone. “I’d ask how you managed to get into university, but people can do anything with enough money.”

He slid the cut ropes from Eren's wrists and the younger man rubbed at the sore, reddened skin. He watched as Levi stood again, slouching in relief when the man pocketed the switchblade. Clearly he didn't see Eren as a threat, although the younger man was still filled with underlying rage.

"Well, stand up," Levi said as he walked back to his desk, picking up a decanter of amber liquid and pouring himself a glass. 

Eren slowly pushed himself up off the ground, trying to shake out the tingling feeling in his hands and feet. At his full height, he was at least four or five inches taller than Levi, but the shorter man was thick and muscular and looked like he could easily kick Eren’s ass. His last chance of getting out of here would be to take Levi by surprise while his back was turned.

Eren reached for a vase on the shelf nearby and took a few steps forward, lifting it up with the intent on smashing it over the other man's head.

"You sure you want to do that?" Levi asked, placing his glass back down. 

Eren paused just long enough for Levi to turn around and in a panic, he brought the vase down hard, but the shorter man had already moved out of the way, throwing an arm across Eren's chest and swiping a leg behind his knees. Eren and the vase hit the ground at the same time, the ceramic shattering and all the air knocked out of the younger man's lungs.

"That vase cost thirty grand," Levi told him irritably, grabbing Eren by the front of his shirt and yanking him up again. He shoved Eren against the bookshelf, causing it to rattle and the brunet squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself for a punch to the face that never came.

When he opened his eyes again, Levi was cleaning his hands with a handkerchief, as if touching Eren had dirtied them.

"Don't try that shit again or I'll do a lot worse than knock you on your ass. I may not want to hurt you, but if I have to, I will."

Eren didn't doubt it.

Levi walked back to his desk, downed his drink in one gulp and called out Oluo’s name. The man swung the door open and stood there at attention, saying “yes, boss?”

Eren was impressed. Oluo reminded him of a trained dog. 

“Get the kid some clothes.”

“Uh,” there was a pause, “where?”

“I don’t care. Get him some of yours,” Levi answered with a wave of his hand.

Oluo’s face went red and he sputtered, “ _My_ clothes?”

“Well, the two of you are around the same size, aren’t you?” Levi questioned, his eyes daring the man to challenge him further.

“Yeah, okay. I’ll… be right back.”

Eren didn’t miss the scowl on Oluo’s face as he marched out of the room, nor did he miss the tiniest hint of a smirk on Levi’s.

"C’mon, I’ll show you where you'll be sleeping," Levi said to Eren, motioning with a hand for the younger man to follow him out the door.

"I'm sleeping here?"

"What, did you think I was going to take you home with me?" Levi threw over his shoulder, and Eren bit his lip at the implication.

It was a windowless room in the basement, cold, damp and musty and Eren hated it already. There was a cot in the corner and an old wooden chair but not much else. 

“Ugh. Are there like, rats down here?”

The look Levi shot him sent a shiver down his spine that had nothing to do with the cold and Eren immediately threw up his hands in a gesture of apology.

“Do I at least get a pillow and a blanket?” He asked a few moments later, nudging the cot with his foot.

Levi looked thoughtful for a moment and then nodded. “Yeah, I’ll have someone bring you some. What’s the point in keeping you if you just die of pneumonia anyway, hm?”

Eren huffed, sticking his hands into his pockets. He shared another look with Levi before letting his eyes move down to trace the shape of his mouth and the angle of his jawline. The older man cleared his throat. 

"The door will be locked every night and someone will always be on the other side so don't try anything stupid."

With that, he walked out the door and Eren heard the lock click into place.

Oluo showed up fifteen minutes later, all huffy, and he shoved a garbage bag at Eren that the brunet assumed (hoped) was filled with clothes and bedding and left again without saying a word.

Eren undressed, wishing he had another pair of underwear because the ones he had on he'd been wearing for over a day now. He decided to peel them off and go commando in the grey sweatpants Oluo had given him. Wouldn't that piss the man off knowing his clothes made contact with Eren's junk? He snickered at the thought, kicking his dirty clothes into a pile in the corner before laying down on the cot for some much-needed rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, let me know what you think!


	4. Violent Streets

Unfortunately, Eren wasn't able to sleep at all. Not only was the cot so uncomfortable that he might as well sleep on the floor, but the stone-walled basement was echoey as hell and he could hear people talking outside his door. At first it was Eld and Oluo, the latter complaining about the "shitty kid” and how they should’ve just killed him when they had the chance. 

Then, there were new voices, others coming to take over the "make sure Eren doesn't escape" shift. So, for hours he simply laid in bed, staring into the darkness, listening to obnoxious men talk about their girlfriends and baseball games and all sorts of other things Eren couldn't give two shits about. It was a good distraction to keep him from obsessing over his current predicament of being kidnapped, however.

It felt as though he had just fallen asleep when the door swung open and he jolted up in surprise. The redheaded woman named Petra stood in the doorway, flicking on the light which made him hiss in pain and slam his eyes shut against the sudden brightness.

“Morning!” She said cheerily, looking very much like she’d gotten her eight hours, while Eren had gotten none. He scowled at her until he caught sight of the white box in her hands and his interest was piqued.

“I brought you something for breakfast. The bakery down the street makes the best donuts. Hope you don’t have any allergies?” She made her way over and sat next to him, opening the lid on the box to reveal twelve delicious-looking pastries. 

Eren shook his head, his mouth already watering at the thought of a sweet, fluffy donut.

“Great! You get first pick,” she said with a smile. “Usually Levi does but I figure he won’t mind me keeping his hostage alive.”

Eren pulled out a donut topped with chocolate frosting and crushed m&m’s. The word ‘hostage’ hit him in the gut and he almost lost his appetite, but his stomach growled angrily and the pastry was too appetizing to ignore. He took a bite from it, practically melting into the bed, eyes rolling back as he sighed contentedly. The donut was gone in less than a minute.

“You'll be needing a shower, I think," Petra said, watching as he licked his fingers clean. Eren paused his chewing and tilted his head toward an armpit, giving himself a sniff before nodding at her emphatically.

“I'll find you some shampoo and soap. Guaranteed Levi has some lying around somewhere, being the clean freak that he is."

"That would be amazing," Eren told her once he swallowed the last mouthful.

She gave him another smile before leaving the room and Eren sat there, twiddling his thumbs and whistling the tune of an old song his mom used to sing to him. 

Petra returned shortly and handed him a towel, a washcloth and two sample-size bottles, one shampoo and one body wash. 

"I'll show you where the shower is," she said, letting him follow her down the hall. Eren wondered how dangerous this tiny woman must be if she was allowed to be alone with him like this. Of course, Levi had just recently taught Eren a lesson about not underestimating people for their size, so he didn't even think of trying anything. Besides, she brought him a donut, how could he hurt her?

"Don't mind the smell of bleach," She told him as she flicked on the light. It was another windowless room, but the walls and floor were covered in tile and a single metal shower head jutted from the wall. "It's usually only used to wash off blood..." She trailed off, clearly wondering if she should have withheld that information.

Eren made a face and tiptoed inside, wanting to touch the floor as little as possible, even though the tiles looked completely sterile, like someone had scrubbed every crevice with a toothbrush.

The door was closed behind him and he stripped out of his clothes, hanging them off a hook on the wall with his towel so they wouldn't get wet and then turned on the shower, shrieking as a spray of icy water hit him in the face. He fiddled with the valve until it was a somewhat comfortable temperature, though there were still occasional bursts of cold and hot, and he did his best to ignore the loud hum coming from the pipes. The shampoo and body wash smelled like vanilla, so that was nice, at least.

Once he was clean, he dried off and put the clothes back on with a frown. Nothing was worse than putting worn clothes on a clean body. And he still had no underwear.

When he stepped back into the corridor, Oluo was standing there, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He looked the brunet up and down with disgust and Eren gave him a charming smile before shaking his hair out like a dog, spraying the other man with the leftover droplets.

Oluo growled and snatched the front of Eren's shirt, slamming his back against the wall, free hand poised and ready to throw a punch. Eren waited for it, but for the second time, it never came.

"I don't know what the boss is thinking keeping you alive," Oluo gritted out, "but as soon as he gives the word, I'm gonna have fun tearing you apart." He gave Eren one last shove against the stone wall before tossing him forward.

"Levi wants you upstairs, let's go."

Unlike Petra and Levi, he didn't trust leaving the kid behind his back, which Eren had to admit was smart on his part.

Back in Levi's office, the man was sitting at his desk as expected, reading what looked to be the newspaper. Didn’t the man have a phone? Who read the newspaper nowadays?

"With all due respect, boss, why are we keeping this kid around?” Oluo complained when Levi looked up at them. "He ain't good for nothing, even Grisha doesn't want him!" Levi's eyes flicked over to Eren and caught flash of hurt on the young man's face before he managed to conceal it.

"Eld and I were thinking we could take him back to the house and burn the place down, make it look like an accident. That way Grisha's got no home to go back to and no son either. A life for a life, yeah?"

Levi sat back in his chair, regarding Oluo with what Eren assumed was feigned interest. "We're keeping him because Eren's the only reason he would come back. He has no other ties, no other family here. He's our bait."

"Well, can't we rough him up a little? The kid's living here more like a guest than a hostage!" 

Levi rubbed at his eyes with his thumb and forefinger, sighing in frustration. "You wanna rough him up?"

"Yeah, the little shit broke my nose, I should be able to break his in return!"

Levi's eyes met Eren's again, those teal orbs that were now wide with fear. 

"He's got a point, kid," he said resignedly, and Eren's stomach dropped as Oluo's face lit up with the nastiest smile he had ever seen.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"We're keeping the fight fair. No weapons, Oluo." Levi said, holding out his hands to collect the gun and various blades Oluo kept on his person.

"That's fine, I don't need nothing but my hands to deal with this brat," he said confidently, handing the items over.

They'd taken Eren out to the alley, which was a reasonable size for a fist fight and Levi didn't care if they drew blood, as long as it wasn't on his floors. The air smelled stale and the streets were quiet, despite it being mid-morning, so Eren worked out that they were probably in a very shady neighbourhood. Not exactly the place you'd want to take your dog for a morning stroll.

Eld and the dark-haired man, whose name Eren learned was Gunther, came out to watch, the two of them leaning against the wall by the door. Petra didn't show up, but she didn't seem the type to appreciate pointless violence and Eren wondered not for the first time how exactly she fit into the group.

"Loser cleans the bathrooms for a month," Levi said casually, joining Eld and Gunther at the wall, passing the blond Oluo’s weapons.

"And when I win, what do I get?" Oluo asked with a smirk, rolling up his sleeves.

"Winner gets that 12 year-old bottle of Canadian whiskey I have in my cabinet," Levi said with a smirk of his own and Oluo's eyes widened. Eren assumed that must be pretty special, but he'd never had whiskey. He didn’t care about a prize anyway, avoiding an ass-kicking was all the motivation he needed.

The mousy-haired man turned on Eren so fast that he didn't have time to react and his face exploded in pain as a thick fist clipped his cheekbone. He caught the second one straight to the stomach, and doubled over with an “oof”, stumbling back against the wall. Oluo gave him a chance to straighten, bouncing around like an excited boxer before throwing another punch and Eren fell gracelessly to the side so the man's fist struck the brick wall instead.

He cried out, clutching his bloody knuckles, before charging at the brunet, but Eren was quicker and ducked around him. Oluo was breathing heavily by now, angry that he was being made to look like a bumbling idiot. 

“Quit running and fight me like a man!" He shouted.

Eren continued to back up until he felt himself bump into the fence that closed off the far-end of the alley and felt the panic well up inside him because now Oluo had him cornered. As he watched the stocky man approach with that menacing look on his face, something snapped inside him. Eren darted forward, taking Oluo by surprise and tackling him, using all his body weight to throw the heavier man down. 

Once they were on the ground, he attempted to straddle him, but Oluo shoved him off with his legs, successfully rolling them over and switching their positions. Once again, he readied a punch and Eren's hand flailed out, grabbing a stray garbage can lid and bringing it between them just in time to feel Oluo's fist slam into it with a loud clang.

The older man growled in frustration and Eren rammed the lid into his chin, causing the man to bite his tongue while effectively dazing him and knocking him backwards. Adrenaline pumping through his veins, Eren climbed on top of him and wrapped his hands around his neck, squeezing until Oluo began kicking his legs in an effort to dismount him, his hands scraping and pulling at Eren's, trying in vain to loosen their grip.

Eren only saw red. His body ached, his head hurt, his mind was tired but the will to fight was ever present and he continued to squeeze until someone grabbed him by the back of the shirt, pulling him off the other man.

"That's enough," Levi said in an almost soothing tone and Eren felt the red fade away. 

Oluo coughed and choked on the ground, rubbing at his sore throat. "You damn near killed me you little psycho!"

Eren simply blinked, clenching and unclenching his fists, unsure of what to say. HIs breathing was heavy and he knew he should feel awful for almost killing the man, but if he was being honest, he felt amazing. He could feel the leftover adrenaline thrumming under his skin, and he'd never felt so alive.

Every day of his life had been stagnant and pointless thus far, everything he wanted handed to him on a silver platter. This feeling was new, something he hadn’t known he’d needed. He'd fought for his survival, tooth and nail, narrowly avoided being beaten into the dirt, and he'd won. 

"What the hell are you smiling about? See, boss, the kid's crazy!"

Eren hadn't realized he was smiling, but instead of hiding it, he began to laugh as well, a soft boyish chuckle that contrasted with his dirty, bruised face and Oluo recoiled even further at the sound, looking genuinely rattled.

Levi clapped Eren on the back, leading him towards the door. "C'mon kid, there's a bottle of whiskey with your name on it." 

He let Eren in first and then paused in the doorway, turning back to Oluo who was finally clambering to his feet. "And there's a mop and bucket in the storage room for you."

Oluo's shoulders sagged as Eld and Gunther laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo this chapter was a little longer :D comments and kudos are appreciated!


	5. Deprived

On their way back to Levi's office, the glow of his achievement and the remaining adrenaline was dampened as Eren recalled that it was Levi who had put him in that fight in the first place, and he wondered what exactly the man’s intention had been. Was it really just senseless violence, or had Levi been testing him? 

"Sit," the older man said, and he made his way to an antique-looking liquor cabinet, pulling out a dark brown bottle, his eyes scanning the label.

Eren flopped down into a plush burgundy chair and watched as Levi opened the bottle and poured two fingers into two crystal glasses. He returned and handed one to Eren who took it hesitantly, before leaning against the edge of his desk again, eyeing the younger man with interest.

“It’s not even noon, Le— Uh, Sir,” Eren said weakly, gesturing to the glass in his hand. Should he call him sir? The only other person he’d seen call him Levi to his face was Petra, but somehow he didn’t think he’d earned that privilege. 

Levi took a sip of his own glass and chuckled, “I’m also guessing you’re not of age to be drinking this stuff, but hey, you’re not in Kansas anymore. Enjoy it, kid. You deserve it.”

Eren looked down at the amber liquid before bringing the glass to his lips and taking a gulp. The whiskey assaulted every taste bud and burned all the way down his throat and he made a disgusted face. Once the alcohol settled in his stomach, however, he felt a pleasant warm glow spread through his body and he decided it wasn’t so bad.

They sat in silence for a few moments. As the last of Eren’s adrenaline faded away, the aches and pains in his body became more prominent and if he had been tired before, he was exhausted now. He just wanted to curl up on his plush king-size bed, wrapped in his expensive sheets and surrounded by all of his familiar things. 

That wouldn’t be happening, of course. All he had was the cot in the basement and if he slept now, he’d be awake all night again to listen to those neanderthals talk about cheating on their girlfriends with some nameless hooker, or whatever other unpleasant stories they might share.

Eren looked up from the glass he held, raking his eyes over Levi’s form, the tailored shirt and pants he wore doing little to disguise his toned shape. No matter how attractive he may be, Eren had to remind himself that this was all his fault. 

It was Levi who ordered everyone around here, and it was his decision that took Eren away from his home, his friends, and his future. And he was still calling the shots, giving his men a chance to cause him physical harm.

“Why did you do that?” He finally blurted, renewed anger flashing in his eyes. “Why were you going to let him beat me up? I haven’t done anything to deserve it! I broke his nose last night because as far as I knew I was fighting for my life.”

He figured it was pointless to try and reason with a man like Levi, but he was surprised when he simply replied, “Exactly.”

Eren waited for him to elaborate and Levi sighed, explaining, “I’ve figured out what I can use you for. Despite being a spoiled brat, you’ve got a lot of fire in you. You managed to injure two of my best men last night, and I know they weren’t going easy on you just because you’re a kid.

He paused, letting Eren absorb this information before continuing, “So, I’ve decided, since no one knows when or _if_ Grisha is coming back, I’ll be taking you under my wing. You’re mine now and you’re gonna do what I say, when I say it. Understand? I say ‘jump’ and you say ‘how high?’”

Eren frowned into his glass. He may have been able to defend himself against Oluo, but Levi was a whole other level of danger he wasn’t sure he wanted to experience. At the same time, being the equivalent of someone’s slave went against every fiber of Eren’s being.

Reading the conflict on the younger man’s face, Levi continued, “And in return, I’ll teach you a thing or two about the business.”

That piqued Eren’s interest and he looked up at the man with wide eyes.

“You liked that, didn’t you?” Levi asked. “I saw it on your face. For the first time in your life, you were alive. You’ve got a monster living inside you, and I can use that.”

Eren blinked. It’s true that he felt something inside him snap, as if some dormant part of him had been unleashed and it had felt _good._

“You’ll teach me to fight? How to use a gun?” Eren asked, trying to act casual and keep the excitement out of his voice.

Levi nodded. “Sure, and what you learn you’ll put to good use, for me.”

Eren figured he could do that. He could handle being Levi’s ‘lackey’, for lack of a better term, if it meant he could learn to be even a fraction as impressive as the shorter man was. And who knew, maybe in a few months, he’d be skilled enough for Levi to see him as less than a slave and more as a trusted right-hand man.

Eren smiled to himself, feeling suddenly bold and he downed the rest of his drink in one go, handing the empty glass back to Levi.

“So, I guess I can call you ‘Boss’, now?”

The corner of Levi’s mouth quirked up and something flashed in his grey eyes that Eren wasn’t quite sure how to interpret, but it sent a jolt of excitement down his spine nonetheless. 

There was a knock at the door, effectively breaking whatever strange atmosphere had been created and Levi cleared his throat.

“Come in.”

Petra stepped inside, closing the door behind her and looked surprised to see Eren there. 

“Oh, how did the fight go?” She asked, bending over Eren, face lined with concern as she gently touched the bruise on his cheek. “Are you alright?”

Eren’s face flushed and he was torn between wanting to lean into the soft touch, and wanting to pull away, embarrassed at being babied in front of Levi. When he caught the man’s eye over her shoulder he didn’t look upset or judgmental, however, only contemplative.

“I won,” Eren told her, bringing his eyes back to meet her golden ones, unable to hide the pride from his voice.

Petra stood up again, looking surprised and impressed, her gaze flicking between the two men.

“Really?”

Levi and Eren nodded, the latter much more enthusiastically.

“Well, good job, Eren. God knows Oluo needed someone to knock him down a few pegs,” she said with a laugh, taking the plain folder from under her arm and handing it to Levi. The man flipped it open and scanned whatever was inside, nodding occasionally as she pointed to a few things and spoke to him in a low voice.

Eren drummed his fingers against the arms of his chair, chewing his lip and glancing around the room, having taken the hint that he wasn’t invited to this particular conversation. Out of the corner of his eyes he caught the way Petra brushed a few strands of hair away from Levi’s face and his attention snapped back to them, feeling a pang of jealousy.

“You need a trim,” she said and Levi ran a hand through his hair, not self-consciously but in acknowledgment of the fact, and Eren squirmed in his seat.

That must be how Petra fit into the group. Besides being in charge of various paperwork (an accountant perhaps?), she was clearly Levi’s girlfriend. Of course, it made sense for a man like Levi to be with a beautiful woman like her and not some spoiled, lanky brat with messy hair and no talents to speak of. Eren surprised himself with that thought. Was he that attracted to the man, the man who was responsible for taking his perfect life and turning it completely on it’s head?

Sensing Eren’s penetrating gaze, Levi looked up from the paperwork he was holding, those silver eyes studying him for a moment, then darting down to watch as Eren’s tongue flicked out to lick at his lips. 

Even with the alcohol clouding his mind, the answer was a resounding _yes._ And even if he had no skills or talents, he would work hard until Levi saw him as someone worthy, so that maybe some day he would be able to touch him as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are appreciated <333


	6. You'd Be So Proud

On the main floor of the building there was a makeshift conference room with a long table and several chairs. This is where Levi and his top men met to discuss business and Eren didn't know why he'd been dragged along because, what did he know about smuggling guns or dealing drugs? Petra had ordered them Chinese take-out, however, so he sat quietly, munching away at his chicken chow mein and taking occasional slurps from his Pepsi.

"Oluo, I need you to pay a visit to Ralph tonight," Eren heard Levi say from his spot at the head of the table. "He's been treading on our territory again. I want you to take everything he's got in his stash and rough him up a little. Let him know if he steps out of line again, I'll be coming to see him myself."

Eren raised his brows as he swallowed a bite of food, feeling sorry for that Ralph guy if he was dumb enough to cross Levi again. 

The subject was changed when Oluo asked, "So, what about him?"

Eren paused with his chopsticks halfway to his mouth, feeling everyone's eyes on him. He dropped them to the plate and looked around the table like a deer caught in the headlights.

"If we're keeping him around, what're we gonna do when his friends realize he's missing and get the cops involved?" Eld added.

Eren felt a pang in his chest at the thought of his friends. Mikasa and Armin would be heartbroken if he never came home. Even Jean would probably be a little upset. They were most likely already worrying, with him being gone several days now, and he felt guilty about his enthusiasm at the prospect of becoming a member of Levi’s crew. Sure, it would be new and dangerous and thrilling, but the cost was heavy if he could never see his friends again.

"We're going through with the plan to burn the house down,” Levi answered.

Eren whipped his head around to look at the grey-eyed man, shock written all over his features. He didn’t care so much about the house itself, but there were a few very important items he'd left behind that he couldn’t bear to lose.

“You can’t!” Eren blurted, surprised by how emotional he sounded, and he was horrified to feel tears welling up in his eyes.

Oluo’s expression turned smug, and Eren could tell he was pushing it by speaking out against Levi like this, but he went on anyway.

“Y-you can’t just burn my house down.”

“And why not?” Levi asked, quirking an eyebrow as he leaned back in his seat, steepling his hands in front of him. 

“There’s something I need to get first,” Eren said weakly. “Please. Burn it down if you have to, but just let me go there one last time.”

Oluo scoffed loudly. “Listen to this kid, trying to tell us what to do! We’re gonna burn that place down and you’re just gonna have to—”

“Oluo,” Levi spoke his name harshly, effectively cutting the other man off before turning back to Eren.

“Fine,” he said. “You can grab some clothes while you’re at it. I’m tired of seeing those disgusting sweatpants.” 

Eren sighed in relief and Oluo sat back, scowling and shaking his head, clearly biting back whatever other disagreements he had about the situation.

“At least I don’t have to deal with the little shit tonight,” he said with a huff, thankful he would have the chance to take out his anger on that sorry excuse of a dealer. 

“Eld and Gunther will take you,” Levi told Eren.

“You’re not coming?” He asked, sounding disappointed.

“Why would he?” Oluo spat. “He has more important things to do than babysit some little punk, and he couldn’t care less about your ‘prized possessions’,” he made air quotes around the words with a roll of his eyes. 

“Leave him alone, Oluo,” Petra snapped. “Maybe he has pictures of friends and family that he wants. Not everyone is as heartless as you.” 

Oluo’s face went red at her scolding and he shut his mouth. Eren gave her a smile across the table and she sent one back with a wink.

Levi watched the interaction with interest before standing up, and everyone followed suit. The meeting was over, and it was time for everyone to get to work.

____________________________________________________________________________

If Eld was a man of few words, Gunther had none at all. The man followed orders, didn’t backtalk and got his work done without complaint. He said nothing to Eren as they drove to his house. To be fair, neither did Eld; he’d only spoken to his partner once or twice, earning no more than a grunt in response. 

When they pulled up to the house, Gunther cut the engine and Eld turned in his seat to face Eren.

“You got ten minutes before we light that match and burn the place down, so be quick,” He said.

Eren nodded, swallowing a lump in his throat as he climbed out of the car. Gunther and Eld grabbed a few jerry cans out of the trunk and nodded at Eren to lead the way. He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants before opening the front door and stepping inside, the other two following close behind. 

The place was noticeably cleaner than it was the night he’d been taken. He wondered what the housekeeper would think when she came by tomorrow only to see a pile of ash and rubble where the house once stood.

He made his way upstairs and went straight to the closet in his room, grabbing his duffle bag. He tossed a few pairs of jeans (avoiding the sweatpants since Levi seemed to have an aversion to them), some t-shirts and his favourite hoodie inside, followed by several pairs of underwear and socks. 

He then reached into his bedside drawer and pulled out the scrapbook Mikasa and Armin made for him after his mother had died. It was full of pictures, a few beautiful candid ones of her alone and plenty of the two of them together, and he cherished it more than anything. He snatched a few more pictures that were hanging on the wall, stuffing them into the bag and walked into the bathroom to grab his toiletries. 

Just as he was about to head back downstairs, he passed his father’s bedroom and paused mid-step.

Pushing the door open, Eren flicked on the light and made a beeline for the vanity in the corner. After his mother died, his father had all of her things packed up and donated, save for the vanity where she had sat and brushed her hair every night. He carefully opened her jewelry box and pulled out a long chain with an antique key hanging from it.

He thought back to the day he bought her the necklace. 

_She had taken him shopping and given him a few dollars to spend. While she was browsing in a store, Eren wandered next door to the antique shop, looking around in awe at all the interesting items for sale. He spotted the key necklace and decided it would look pretty on her, so he snatched it from the display and brought it to the cashier._

_“Oh, what are you going to do with that?” The old lady had asked curiously._

_“It’s for my mom,” Eren explained simply, handing over all the bills he had in his pocket._

_“That’s sweet of you, dear. Ah, you’re a few dollars short,” She said as she counted out the money, and Eren’s shoulders drooped. “But I won’t tell if you don't,” She added with a kind smile._

_Eren’s face lit up again and he nodded, watching as the old woman grabbed a small gift box from behind the counter and placed the necklace inside. Eren beamed as he strolled out of the store with his gift in hand._

_When he found his mother again, she gasped and ran to him, her face lined with worry. “There you are! Don’t take off on me like that again, I was so-”_

_Eren thrust the gift box up at her and she took it gingerly, lifting the lid to peak inside, and her face softened._

_“Oh,” She breathed. “Thank you, Eren. It’s beautiful.”_

‘Like you,’ he thought as he placed the chain around his neck, tucking the key under his shirt.

"Eren, let's go!" He heard Eld yell up the stairs.

Eren readjusted the duffel bag on his shoulder before running down the stairs, gagging at the overwhelming stench of gasoline. Eld grabbed him by the arm and the three of them walked swiftly out the door, Gunther striking a match and tossing it over his shoulder.

By the time they reached the car, the main floor of the house was engulfed, flames dancing in the windows and Eren stopped, staring in awe, watching as the home he grew up in was destroyed.

Eld opened the door and shoved the younger man into the back seat and they were already driving away before Eren had the chance to right himself. When he looked back, the house was nothing more than an glowing blur against the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are appreciated!


	7. Trust What You're Given

The burnt down house was featured on the news the next day and Eren watched on the small TV in the conference room as he munched on a bagel with cream cheese, gradually losing his appetite. 

“It doesn’t appear that anyone was in the house when the fire started,” Commissioner Erwin Smith, was saying to the interviewer. “We are still trying to get in contact with the homeowner.”

“Good luck,” Eren muttered, dropping the rest of his uneaten bagel on the table. He picked up the cup of black coffee Petra had gotten him and gave it a sniff, wrinkling his nose at the bitter smell. He proceeded to dump several creamers and packets of sugar into it and then gave it a test sip, finding it barely palatable.

“You don’t like coffee?” 

Eren jumped in his seat, turning to find Levi in the doorway, and wondered how long he’d been standing there.

“Oh, ah, never really drank it before,” He said weakly.

“I prefer tea, myself,” The shorter man stated as he leaned against the doorjamb. 

Eren nodded, tucking that tidbit away for later. Maybe he could learn to make tea and bring Levi a cup some time. 

As if his words had summoned her, Petra appeared behind Levi, holding another cup.

“There you are! It’s so weird for you not to be in your office at this time,” She said, handing Levi what Eren assumed was tea. He thanked her and she carried on down the hall.

“Um, what exactly does Petra do here?” Eren asked before thinking better of it. It would probably end very badly for him if Levi thought he was insulting his girlfriend.

“She’s an accountant,” Levi answered. “She fabricated a whole company for our cover, makes it seem legit, and launders our funds.”

“Oh,” Eren nodded, trying to make it seem like he understood what all of that meant. 

“She also has a black belt in taekwondo so don’t get on her bad side.”

Eren’s brows lifted in surprise and he swallowed harshly. 

“Right. Uh, so… what do you guys _really_ do?”

Levi took a sip of his tea and shrugged. “You were in the meeting yesterday.”

Eren looked sheepish for a second. “I… wasn’t really paying attention.”

Levi rolled his eyes. “Well, what do you think we do?” He asked.

“I don’t know,” Eren replied, thinking back to a few mob movies he’d seen. “Smuggle guns? Sell drugs?”

Levi gave him a dirty look. “Do I look like the kind of person who sells drugs?” 

“No!” Eren nearly shouted, worried he’d offended the man, though he couldn’t help but notice he hadn’t denied the gun smuggling. “No, of course not,” he followed in softer tone.

Levi smirked, and Eren was both annoyed that the other man seemed to find him so amusing, and slightly turned on because damn, he was handsome.

“The drugs are sold in batches. We bring them in and dealers buy from us. I have people who inspect the quality so I never have to touch the shit, personally.”

Eren nodded slowly, trying to figure out if there was any real, ethical difference between selling to dealers and just selling to addicts. He looked down at his cup, swirling the pale liquid around the cup as Levi eyed the TV across the room and scoffed.

“I see ‘Eyebrows’ is on the news again,” he muttered and Eren glanced up to see the footage of Erwin Smith’s interview being shown again. The man did have some substantially sized brows and Eren snorted.

“Do you know him?” He asked Levi.

“We’re… acquainted,” Levi replied cryptically.

Eren didn’t press for more information, simply nodding. Another few beats of silence passed and he turned to Levi again.

“Can I ask you a question?” 

“Isn’t that what you’ve been doing for the past five minutes?”

Eren’s cheeks burned, but the slight quirk of Levi’s mouth told him the man wasn’t really annoyed.

“How long have you and Petra been together?”

Levi’s eyes went wide and he nearly choked on his tea. He took a moment to compose himself before fixing Eren with a look, eyebrows drawn together in a confusion. 

“What the hell gave you the idea we were together?”

“Oh!” Eren exclaimed, feeling stupid for assuming. “Well, I mean—she just—you—I…” 

Eren trailed off and Levi eyed him expectantly which only made the younger man blush harder. 

“She’s, like… I don’t know, really touchy with you,” Eren finished lamely.

Levi snorted in amusement, a sound that Eren found very cute.

“That’s just how Petra is. I’ve learned to deal with it,” he said with a shrug and went back to sipping his tea. 

Still feeling a little mortified that he’d asked in the first place, Eren was also pleased to find out the two weren’t actually dating. That still didn’t mean Levi was single, however, and Eren frowned at the thought.

“Do you have any gym clothes?” Levi asked suddenly. “I was planning on fitting in a work out this morning and you could certainly use one.”

“Uh, no, I didn’t think to bring any,” Eren mumbled, frowning at the implied insult.

Levi tsked. “I’ve got an extra pair of shorts you can have. Come on.”

With that, he walked out of the room and Eren scrambled out of his seat to follow, leaving his coffee forgotten on the table.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

There was a gym down the street that Levi and his men frequented and the older man brought him along, the two of them walking down the cracked sidewalk together, Eren carrying his duffel bag with a change of clean clothes inside.

It was the first time Eren had been out of the HQ since he’d been brought in days ago, not counting the trip to his house, and he would’ve appreciated the fresh air if there were any around but mostly the neighbourhood just smelled like trash and exhaust fumes.

The gym was small and almost completely empty, save for a few very mean looking men lifting weights in the corner. Levi brought Eren down to the basement, throwing down a few mats and Eren realized the man intended to grapple with him.

“Can’t I, like, train with Oluo or something?” Eren asked nervously.

“Why, you scared?” Levi shot back to which Eren shook his head, his expression saying otherwise. “I’ll go easy on you.”

True to his word, Levi did go easy on him, but his idea of “easy” was very different from Eren’s and the younger of the two was thrown down for the fifth time, panting and groaning into the mat.

“No more,” he whined, slapping his hand down on the mat like he’d seen them do sometimes in wrestling.

Levi stood over him, hands on his hips. “I'm showing you how it's done, but you're not learning. Maybe Oluo’s right. You really are useless.”

Eren lifted his head, glaring at the older man. “No, I’m not!”

“Prove it,” Levi said, and Eren knew he was being baited, but he took it anyway.

He pulled himself to his feet, taking in a deep breath and Levi made a gesture with his hand for Eren to come at him again. Instead of trying to land a hit as he’d done before, Eren hooked his arm across Levi’s chest and swung a leg into the backs of his knees, just like the older man had done to him that night in his office. Levi hit the mat hard, looking dazed for a moment. 

“Not bad,” he said, sounding like wind had been knocked out of him and Eren beamed, feeling very proud of himself.

Suddenly, his foot was pulled out from under him and he fell sideways onto the mat. Levi had him pinned within seconds, his face squished into the mat and his arm bent painfully behind his back.

“Don’t let your guard down,” Levi breathed in his ear. The shorter man’s body was splayed over top Eren’s, hips pressing against his ass and the younger man bit back a whimper.

His arm was released and then Levi was standing again, giving Eren a moment to regain his bearings.

“Get up,” he told the brunet, growing impatient as the younger man remained lying down, face hidden against the mat.

Eren turned his head to the side, enough to look up at Levi and said, “I can’t.”

Levi cocked an eyebrow. “Why not?”

Eren didn’t know how to explain to the man that he was sporting a raging hard on, so he dropped his head back down and shrugged his shoulders lamely.

“Eren, get the fuck up,” Levi repeated, growing irritated.

_“If I lay here,”_ Eren sang weakly, the words muffled by the mat. _“If I just lay here…”_

Levi stared down at him, looking bewildered.

_“Would you lie with me and just forget the world?”_

His erection was about half-mast now, having thoroughly embarrassed himself in front of the other man, then suddenly, a hand twisted in his hair, yanking his head back and Levi growled in his ear, “Eren stop fucking around.” 

And Eren was hard all over again.

Levi pulled him up by his shirt, letting go once the brunet was standing upright again. His eyes drifted downward for a split second, long enough to notice the tent in Eren's shorts, and he muttered, “Jesus Christ.” 

Eren’s face went red and he watched as Levi put a hand over his mouth, turning his back, though he couldn’t tell if he was disgusted or just trying to hold back his laughter. The man’s shoulders shook ever so slightly and Eren had his answer.

“Does fighting really get you that excited, kid?” Levi asked once he composed himself again, the trace of a smirk still on his lips.

 _‘Only with you’_ Eren thought, giving a weak one-shoulder shrug in response.

Levi looked down again, raising his eyebrows. “It’s pretty persistent, isn’t it?”

Eren groaned, having had enough of the teasing. He tugged the hem of his shirt down in an attempt to cover his crotch. 

“Well, I haven’t jerked off in days, okay?” He said, rather loudly and was thankful no one else was around to hear. “I have to listen to your stupid lackeys talking outside my room every night and it doesn’t exactly set the mood.”

“Well, that’s unfortunate,” Levi replied. “I guess this would be a good time to call it a day and hit the showers.”

Eren grumbled under his breath as he stormed past Levi toward the changeroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are appreciated!


	8. Anxiety

Eren was terribly awkward around Levi the days following the incident, while the other man somehow managed to act like it hadn’t happened at all. He had been worried Levi would have told the others what happened so they could all have a laugh at his expense, but so far no one treated him any differently.

The worst part had been when they’d gone into the changeroom after and Levi began stripping out of his gym clothes right in front of the younger man. Seeing his bare torso was agonizing enough but when Levi reached for the waistband of his shorts, Eren had run into the nearest shower stall, choosing to undress there instead.

The sight of Levi’s muscled back and toned abs had done nothing to dampen his erection but he couldn’t very well rub one out with Levi nearby so he suffered through an icy cold shower instead, trying not to imagine the other man naked in the stall next to him.

He heard Levi's shower turn off several minutes before he was finished with his own, and when he came out wrapped in his towel, Levi was nowhere to be seen. Eren dried off and dressed quickly then grabbed his duffel bag and walked out, finding the other man leaning against the wall outside the changeroom.

“You seemed pretty shy, thought I’d give you some privacy,” Levi explained and Eren groaned internally. 

Now, any time Eren caught Levi’s eyes he would feel a flush creeping up his neck and had to look away. 

At night, he laid awake in his cot, finding himself thinking less of the friends he missed and more about the dark-haired man, remembering the warm weight of Levi’s body pressed against his. 

He’d been touched by Levi before, albeit roughly, but he wondered what those hands would feel like if they touched him gently instead, with affection and care, and what his lips would taste like and how his name would sound falling from them in the throes of passion.

Eren’s hand slid down the front of his boxers, rubbing at his hardened length. It had been so long since he’d gotten off, he was going to go crazy if he didn’t get some relief soon. The men guarding his door were talking obnoxiously between themselves, and Eren’s hand slipped under the blanket. He hoped they wouldn’t hear if he kept quiet. 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“There's going to be a drop off in a week,” Levi said in a casual tone, not bothering to look up from the book he was reading.

Eren eyed the man curiously.

“Oh?”

“And you'll be coming with us to pick it up.”

Eren straightened in his seat, the same plush burgundy armchair he’d sat in before. “Will it be dangerous?” He asked, unable to hide his intrigue at the idea.

Levi shrugged. “Probably not.”

“Will I have a gun?” 

“You wouldn’t even know how to use it,” Levi replied in a bored tone. “You’d be more of a hazard with one than helpful.”

Eren closed the magazine he’d been reading, leaning forward to give the man the full effect of his glare. “But you said you’d teach me how to shoot!”

Levi closed his book as well, dropping it on his desk. “I don’t exactly have time to take you to a shooting range, and I’m not going to waste my men’s time making them do it either.”

Eren was pouting now and Levi couldn’t believe it. To be fair, the kid was only eighteen and a spoiled brat, but what Levi really couldn’t believe was the affect it had on him. He didn’t like it. He much preferred it when Eren smiled, although the way his bottom lip currently protruded was enticing, plump and pink and just begging to be bitten. The older man sat back, running a hand through his hair as if to brush away that thought.

“You say you don’t have time, but we’ve been sitting here for almost an hour doing nothing,” Eren muttered.

“I’m expecting a call soon,” Levi said evenly, tapping his fingers against the antique mahogany desk.

“Don’t you have a cell phone?”

“Of course I do.”

“So, take the call on that! You don’t need to sit here and wait for it. What are you, an old man?”

A muscle in Levi’s jaw twitched, and if it was due to amusement or annoyance, Eren couldn’t tell. Once the embarrassment over the incident at the gym had finally subsided, Eren had been less shy around Levi and if anything, had become even more bold, testing his limits. It was in his nature, after all.

His large, blue-green eyes stared up at Levi expectantly and after a few moments of thought, the older man opened a drawer and pulled out a set of keys before standing and walking around to the door. Eren watched him, waiting for a sign that he should be getting ready to leave as well.

“Well, you wanna do this or not?” Levi asked.

Eren scrambled out of his seat and followed Levi out the door.

Levi drove a very nice car. Way too nice for the neighbourhood, and it was kept locked in the garage next to the building. Although, Eren doubted anyone would fuck with it even if it had been left in the street.

It was a Jaguar XJ and suited the man perfectly with its tinted windows and monochrome black colouring. Eren slid into the passenger seat and admired the smooth leather upholstery and carbon fiber detailing. There wasn’t a speck of dust in sight, but Eren had expected nothing less.

“Nice car,” He said excitedly to Levi as the shorter man started the engine. “I have a Bimmer myself. It’s a few years old and not as nice as this though.”

Levi didn’t appear to be paying attention as he reached across Eren to pull a pair of sunglasses from the glove compartment. Aviators, of course.

Eren hummed in approval as the older man slid them on, squirming in his seat because god damn, could this man get any hotter?

Levi slid his eyes over to the younger man as he pulled out of the garage and headed down the street. “Seatbelt,” Was all he said and Eren thought his coolness factor might have dropped a few points, but it was also nice to know he cared about his safety, so he obliged. 

“What made you change your mind?” He asked once they left the shady neighborhood behind and headed onto the highway.

“Well, I did say I’d teach you,” Levi answered, pressing his foot down on the gas. The car accelerated so smoothly that Eren hardly felt it, the blurred scenery outside his window the only sign of just how fast they were going. “And I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to have another armed man on the job, although I doubt you’ll need to use it.”

Levi caught the disappointment that flashed across Eren’s features.

“Don’t worry, kid. I’m sure you’ll get to shoot someone eventually. It’s inevitable in this business.”

“Have you ever been shot?” Eren asked, his face lighting up again and Levi couldn’t help but be amused by how excited the younger man seemed at the idea. This was all just a game to him and Levi knew the reality of this lifestyle was going to hit him like a ton of bricks, but he’d let him have his fun for the time being.

“A few times. Took a bullet to the shoulder, one in my side and one in the back,” He said as he turned off at their exit. “The last one almost killed me.” 

He glanced over to see Eren had turned in his seat and was facing the older man, leaning forward and licking his lips in a way that made the older man unconsciously chew at his own lip as he turned his attention back to the road. 

Eren’s hand suddenly reached out and gripped Levi’s thigh just above the knee, and the dark-haired man was shocked at his boldness, though his face gave nothing away. 

“Eren,” He said, his voice stern, giving a warning that Eren didn’t heed. 

“Hm?” the younger man hummed innocently, his tongue still poking out from his lips, looking both nervous and determined as his hand slid up the smooth fabric of Levi’s dress pants, rubbing in slow, sensual circles, as if he was biding his time before making it to his goal.

Levi felt his cock twitch in interest and he exhaled harshly through his nose, the only sign so far that Eren was getting to him. The younger man took it as encouragement, his hand dipping between the man’s legs as he leaned even closer to whisper, “Can I-”

The car stopped and Levi’s hand had Eren’s in a tight grip, cutting off whatever he was about to ask. Levi had a pretty good guess what it was, though he refused to acknowledge it.

“We’re here,” the older man said, dropping Eren’s hand as he hastily exited the vehicle.

Eren sat back, frowning as he flexed his sore fingers. He had just made a fool out of himself, again. Levi clearly wasn’t interested in him and had made that very obvious, but Eren couldn’t seem to help himself around the older man. He’d never felt so strongly for another person before. With a dejected sigh, he opened the door and followed Levi toward the shooting range.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments/kudos are appreciated (if you're reading let me know you're out there!)


	9. Ammunition

While Eren had been moping in his seat, Levi had gone around the car and pulled a gun case out of the trunk. Eren caught up to him at the door and they walked up to a desk where a large man with shaggy blond hair sat. 

When he spotted the shorter man, he gave a lopsided smirk and said, “Levi. Been a while.”

Levi nodded at him in acknowledgement. “Mike.” 

The large man named Mike slid his gaze over to Eren, eyes narrowing with curiosity as he studied the younger man.

“Kid needs some practice,” Levi told him.

“Yeah? What’s your name?” Mike asked and Eren opened his mouth but Levi cut him off before he had a chance to speak.

“He’s with me, Mike.”

Mike’s eyes met Levi’s again and there was some unspoken communication going on. After a moment, Mike nodded and pulled out a form of some kind, filling in various spaces before handing it to Eren and telling him to sign at the bottom. He then indicated for Levi to hand over the case and opened it up, inspecting the gun inside.

Eren read over the information, frowning when he realized none of it was correct; the name, age and address all seemed random. He looked up again, about to protest when Levi sighed.

“Sign the damn thing, would you? There’re cameras in here, it’s procedure.”

Eren muttered an “ok” and signed the sheet before passing it back to Mike. The blond man then handed them both a pair of safety glasses, a pack of earplugs and a paper target. Levi nodded at Mike again before gesturing for Eren to follow him.

The shooting range was empty, which wasn't unusual for this time of day during the week, but he and Levi took the stall at the very end anyway. Eren watched with fascination Levi opened the case and pulled out the pistol, an "M9" he told him, before loading the magazine with one of the clips.

“Okay, I don’t have time to be here all day, so let’s see how much you can learn in an hour” Levi said as he rigged up a human shaped target. Once it was in its place down the range, he popped the ear plugs in, telling Eren to do the same unless he wanted his ears to be ringing the rest of the day. 

It wasn’t very badass, Eren decided with a frown. In a real violent situation he wouldn’t have eye or ear protection, but he put them on anyway since Levi suggested it, along with the safety glasses.

Levi raised the gun in his right hand, aimed and fired. It was loud, even with the earplugs and Eren was glad he’d put them in after all. He looked down at the target to see a small hole in the center of it’s chest. Levi fired two more times, both shots striking roughly the same area as the first. 

“Wow, you’re so good!” Eren gushed, slightly aroused by the sight and excited at the idea of becoming just as skilled one day. “Can I try now?”

Levi put the gun down, the barrel facing away from them and stepped aside, watching as Eren picked up the firearm and pointed it at the target. He squeezed one eye shut, his tongue poking in concentration and he pulled the trigger. The recoil was stronger than he had been expecting and surprised him, causing him to jolt slightly. Lowering the gun again, he pouted, seeing that he’d missed the target completely.

He looked over at Levi for help and the older man stepped forward again, putting a hand over Eren’s, showing him how to hold the gun properly. He leaned in close to his ear so the younger man could hear him as he explained how to line up the sight, where to focus his eyes and finally, to press the trigger, not pull on it.

It was hard to follow the instructions with the man’s body pressed against his side and his warm breath on his neck, but Eren nodded, getting the gist of it. 

He kept both eyes open, focusing on the front sight and fired again, missing a second time and he frowned as he heard Levi in his ear again telling him to breathe. He hadn’t even realized he’d been holding it. As if understanding that his proximity was making it hard to focus, Levi stepped back again, leaning against the wall to observe.

Eren fired off three more cartridges, the last one catching the target in the shoulder. His face lit up and he turned to Levi with a bright grin, checking to see if the older man was as pleased as he was. Levi returned the smile with a slight smirk of his own, amused as usual by the young man’s enthusiasm.

By the time the magazine was empty Eren had already shown improvement and Levi was impressed. “Not bad,” He told him, enjoying the way Eren’s cheeks flushed.

Levi proceeded to show him how to reload the gun and let Eren continue his practice, giving him a few pointers here and there as needed. By the end of the hour he was hitting the target more often than not and even managed to get a few shots that would have proved fatal on a real person. 

Once they were out of ammo, Levi packed up the gun and they left the building, Eren practically vibrating with a combination of pride, adrenaline and arousal. Back in the car he was all but bouncing in his seat, chewing his lip as he watched Levi start the engine, blood hot in his veins as he thought back to the vision of the man firing the gun. He imagined how he might look in a real gun fight, all brave and focused and deadly, and his groin tightened in response. He wasn’t sure when he’d developed such a thirst for danger, but Levi was certainly the man to quench it.

“Boss?” Eren said softly as they drove down the highway. 

“Eren, when we’re alone, call me Levi,” the shorter man replied. 

Eren bit his lip again, trying in vain to hide his grin. Levi must like him at least a little bit to offer such a thing. His fingers itched to touch him, to caress his muscular thigh again, but he was worried if he pushed too much then Levi would change his mind and decide he didn’t like him after all, so he sat quietly for the remainder of the drive.

When they reached the garage, Levi backed in and turned off the car before looking over at Eren who was staring down at his lap, seemingly deep in thought.

“You did well,” he said eventually and the brunet blinked up at him with wide turquoise eyes.

Eren couldn’t remember the last time someone had praised him. It made his heart swell and ache in his chest and all coherent thoughts and worries flew out the window. He moved so quickly that Levi didn’t have time to react before the younger man’s mouth was on his own, hands on either of of his head, holding him place, fingers scraping against the closely shaven hairs at the base of his skull. 

A soft, warm tongue lapped at his lips and without thinking, he parted them, welcoming it inside with a teasing flick of his own. Eren moaned wantonly, hardly believing that the other man was consenting to this, but knowing he couldn’t stop now as he slid over the center console until he was seated in Levi’s lap. 

It was a tight squeeze and Levi felt around for the button that would tilt the seat back and give them more room before settling his hands on the boy’s hips, feeling them rock forward of their own accord. Eren was already fully hard, his erection grinding against Levi’s own swiftly hardening cock.

“Mm, you taste so good, Levi,” He panted against the man’s lips and Levi hummed in response, sliding his hands around to cup the younger man’s ass, pulling him even closer. 

His mind was hazy with lust, as all of the carefully repressed attraction that he’d developed for the young man came rushing forth all at once. The part of his brain that had been scolding him all week long for getting too involved was screaming at him now but he still couldn’t keep his lips from latching on to the boy’s neck, or his hips from lifting up to meet his enthusiastic thrusts.

“Oh, god, yes,” Eren groaned as Levi sucked at his throat, fingers roughly kneading into his ass. His teeth scraped at the delicate flesh and the brunet all but wailed, arching his back, fingers tangling in Levi’s hair. Every reaction was intoxicating and he only wanted more.

“Levi, Levi, Levi,” Eren whined the name with every thrust of his hips and Levi growled in approval, his cock throbbing with every sinful sound the younger man made.

His pocket began to vibrate and gradually, he was brought back to reality, remembering that they were in his car, parked in the garage and that the door was still wide open, though thankfully no one could see through the dark tint. 

He pulled away, much to Eren’s disappointment, and slid the device from his pocket to read the caller ID, feeling both irritated and thankful for the distraction. 

“I told you I was expecting a call,” he reminded Eren gently, unable to hold the brunet’s gaze long, lest he throw the phone out the window and continue where he’d left off. 

Instead, he opened the car door and Eren hesitantly slid out of his lap, looking as overwhelmed, confused and upset as he felt. Levi climbed out after him, finally answering the phone before it went to voicemail.

Eren didn’t listen to the call, too lost in his own head as they walked back into the HQ and without a word, he made his way downstairs to his room to sulk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Finally some action hueheueheue
> 
> Is Eren coming across as the naive, hormonal and slightly twisted teen he's supposed to be? Is Levi portraying his role of badass-criminal-but-also-big-softy?


	10. When it Cuts

The week leading to the drop-off was awful, by Eren’s standards. It was the first time since being kidnapped that he really felt like a prisoner. Gunther had been put in charge of training Eren at the gym and Eld took him back to the shooting range a few times to work on his rapidly improving skills. They were no fun, since Eren couldn’t joke or flirt with either of them, so he resigned himself to learning what he could with his face permanently set in a frown that neither men took notice of. A few times he considered trying to sneak off, but they had told him that if he tried anything stupid, they’d shoot his kneecaps and that sounded incredibly painful, so Eren behaved himself.

When he wasn’t practicing his hand-to-hand or shooting, he would be stuck inside HQ, cleaning and doing laundry, scrubbing blood stains out of various men’s shirts.

The building wasn’t all that big, but somehow there was always something to clean, even if he had just cleaned it the day before. He had a feeling Oluo had something to do with the messes and at one point slapped the man in the face with a wet mop. “Accidentally” of course.

He didn’t see much of Levi until a few days before they were meant to pick up the shipment, and even then it was in a meeting with everyone else and he didn’t get to speak to him directly. It felt like the man was purposely avoiding his gaze. He looked at him once, briefly, to tell him that he would be riding with him, since he didn’t trust the other’s to keep a close enough eye on him.

Eren was beginning to feel lonely. Not even Petra, with her donuts and hot chocolates (she’d quickly figured out he hated coffee), could cheer him up. He wished he could see Armin and Mikasa, even just for an hour, to let them know he was okay and enjoy some friendly company.

At night he still fantasized about Levi, having even more to work with now after their very abrupt make-out session in the older man’s car. Levi’s lips and tongue were magic, and Eren would often imagine what else they could do. Then, when he was finished, he would sigh in frustration, wondering why the man had seemed so interested at the time, but hardly gave him a second glance now.

Maybe Levi had only wanted to blow off some steam, uncaring of who it was with. They’d been interrupted before it had gone further and Eren was still upset, feeling like he’d missed his chance. He would gladly help the man de-stress, even if he didn’t want anything more. He’d take what he could get. Maybe after the pick-up he could ask the man to fuck him in the backseat of his car.

As for the pick-up itself, all he understood was that a shipment of something (Eren hadn’t been told what and didn’t really care to ask) was coming in late at night. Gunther, Eld and Oluo were driving the trucks, and there would be a few others for backup and Levi to supervise and make sure everything went smoothly.

Eren supposed a worst case scenario would be the police getting involved, but Levi seemed more concerned about their rival mob intervening again, though he said it would be unlikely. They may have gotten Kenny but his own men had taken out plenty more of theirs and the others would have to be suicidal to try it again.

The night of the drop-off, Eren wore a black hoodie, wanting to blend in with the other men who were all wearing black suits, and to fend against the cold breeze that would come off the water at the docks. The drive with Levi was completely silent and he wasn’t handed a gun until they reached their destination, along with a separate, loaded magazine. Levi told him not to load the gun unless it was necessary and that he’d notice if he did otherwise.

It was boring, to say the least. Levi made Eren stand nearby, but out of the way, and he watched as a crate was carried off the ship and popped open. One of Levi’s men picked up what looked like a white brick, made a slice in it with a pocket knife and then licked the tip of the blade, before nodding in approval. Eren leaned against a railing and watched as crate after crate was loaded into the back of three separate box trucks.

Eren had rested his chin in the palm of his hand, enjoying the sound of the waves, and his eyes fluttering closed just before the first gun shots rang through the air. He jolted at the sound and blinked, but it didn’t register what was happening until someone was yanking him by his hood and pulling him behind one of the trucks.

Levi was standing with his back pressed to the truck, gun in hand and leaning around the corner every so often to return fire. Eren fumbled to grab his own gun from the front pocket of his hoodie, trying repeatedly with shaking hands to slide the magazine in, metal clinking against metal but not locking into place.

He caught movement out of the corner of his eyes as a man he didn’t recognize came around the other side of the truck, gun raised. Two shots were fired and Eren squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the pain. When none came, he opened them again to see the man on the ground, a red stain growing rapidly on his white shirt and Levi’s hand was on his shoulder, pushing him down. Eren vaguely heard the words “stay down” and he crouched low as he was told, back against the truck tire. He tried to load the gun again, the magazine finally clicking into place.

The gunfire around them didn’t cease, if anything it felt like it was becoming more persistent and Eren’s eyes widened as a large hole appeared in the truck a few inches above Levi’s head. He retaliated and then spared Eren a quick glance.

“Get in the truck,” He told him, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Eren moved quickly, yanking the door of the truck open and climbing into the seat. The key was in the ignition, he noticed, but he couldn’t leave. Not only because Levi was still out there, but he had no idea how to drive something this big in the first place. He slunk low in the seat, listening to the sound of various guns being fired and the occasional shout of pain from someone on the receiving end of a bullet.

He chanced a look out the windshield and saw several men on the ground, bleeding out and two more taking cover behind a freight container. He could sneak up on them from behind and take them out, he was sure. He had twelve rounds in his gun, which was more than enough for two men, and then he could make his way back to the truck.

Not wanting to waste any more time thinking it over, he slid across to the passenger door and popped it open, jumping out. He kept low and silently made his way around the back of the container. On the other side, between himself and the other two men, was a stack of wood pallets stored near the wall, giving him a perfect place to duck down.

He glanced around the corner and aimed his gun at one of the men, remembering what Levi had taught him about focusing on the front sight and not the target itself. He pressed down on the trigger, hitting the man in the back, and feeling a thrill in his chest like nothing he’d ever experienced as he watched him go down.

The feeling was quickly replaced by fear when a bullet struck one of the pallets near his head, spraying wood chips in his face as the second man quickly retaliated. Eren ducked back around, wondering how he was supposed to kill him when he already had his attention. He hadn’t thought that part through. What if he peaked around the corner again and the man blew his head off?

Several more shots were fired and Eren felt the boards behind him rattling violently and he grit his teeth, hoping none of the bullets managed to find their way through to him. When the gunfire ceased, he took a deep breath and leaned around the corner again, managing to catch the other man while he was reloading. He was pressed tightly to the wall and it was difficult to aim from this angle, but Eren knew he’d got him when the man jolted and dropped to the ground.

He grinned to himself as he sat back, closing his eyes and taking a few deep breaths, muscles trembling with the adrenaline coursing through his veins. The pride he felt was short-lived as someone grabbed him by the front of his shirt, yanking him up single-handedly and slamming his back into the wooden boards.

“I told you to stay in the truck!” Levi hissed, his fist still twisted in the front of Eren’s shirt.

He looked angrier than Eren had ever seen him and he was momentarily struck with the overwhelming need to kiss the older man, whose face was so close to his own, wondering why he seemed to care so much, despite the chaos going on around them.

Before he had a chance to act on the desire, a shadowy figure appeared from behind a concrete median, his gun trained on them and Eren dropped his own gun, grabbing Levi by the shoulders with both hands and shoving him to the side, the bullet that would have gone through his head striking Eren instead.

White hot pain exploded through the boy’s shoulder. He hissed, hand flying up to cover the wound as he grit his teeth against the agony. He staggered slightly, and then unable to hold himself up anymore, he slumped to the ground. There was another gunshot and the sound of a body hitting the concrete. Eren opened his eyes again, thankful to see that it was the man on the ground and that Levi was okay.

The older man’s hands were on his cheeks, tilting his face up so he could get a better look at him. Even with his hazy vision, Eren caught the undeniable worry in the other man’s eyes and the eventual relief when he realized the younger man’s wounds weren’t fatal. He felt his heart clench in a way that had nothing to do with his injury.

“It hurts, I know. You’re gonna be okay,” Levi muttered, more to himself than anything, as Eren’s hearing began to fade in and out when the older man applied pressure to his shoulder. The sound of gunshots became few and far between and Eren was vaguely aware of a few frantic voices nearby before everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Important notes:
> 
> :O?!?!?!


	11. Heaven

When Eren came to, he felt like he was floating, aware of himself but cut off from his senses. His hearing gradually returned and he could make out the sound of two people speaking in hushed tones somewhere nearby, one soft and feminine, the other deep and clearly male.

 _Mom? Dad?_ He thought, eyebrows furrowing as he struggled to pull himself fully into consciousness.

His hands twisted into something soft and a sharp pain shot down his arm, a weak whine leaving his dry throat as his eyes snapped open.

They darted around the room, and he felt a twinge of panic when he was unable to find anything familiar. Where was he? Who was in the room with him? His heart sank when he realized it couldn’t be either of his parents. The voices stopped and he turned his head toward the new sound of approaching footsteps.

“Oh, good, you’re awake,” Petra said softly, placing a hand on Eren’s forehead. He blinked a few times until her face came into focus, and he noticed Levi standing behind her.

Eren opened his mouth to speak but couldn’t form any words with his mouth so dry. Thankfully, Petra handed him a glass of water, along with a small pill.

“Take that, it’ll help with the pain,” She said, and he swallowed it, managing to do so without spilling the water.

“What happened?” He finally asked, once the pill had scraped its way down his throat. 

“You were shot,” Levi answered, his voice a gruff contrast to Petra’s soft murmurs. 

Eren thought for a moment and it all came rushing back to him. At the docks, that man was going to kill Levi, so Eren had pushed him out of the way and ended up getting shot himself. But he was still alive, and not in an emergency room, so it couldn’t be that bad.

He tried to sit up but collapsed when another wave of pain lanced through his shoulder.

“Don’t move so much, you’ll tear the stitches,” Petra warned him.

Eren reached up to gently touch his right shoulder, feeling the coarse patch of gauze taped over the wound. 

“Did you…?” He trailed off and Petra smiled and nodded.

“My mother is a nurse,” She explained. “She taught me a few things here and there. We were lucky the bullet just grazed you. Still, there’s a pretty big nick in your shoulder, it’s going to take a few weeks to fully heal. We’ve got some painkillers and antibiotics on hand if you start showing signs of infection, but I think you’re going to be just fine.”

Eren gave a slight nod, his hand trailing over his collarbone, and he panicked when he realized his neck was bare. 

“My necklace! Where’s the necklace?” He demanded, lifting his head to look around.

“Oh, it’s right here,” Petra answered, picking up the chain from the dresser behind her. “Sorry, I took it off when I was cleaning you up.”

Eren took the necklace, untangled the chain and placed it over his head, sighing in relief when the key was resting against his chest again where it belonged.

Petra looked between Eren and Levi and cleared her throat. “Well, I should be going now, it’s late. Rest up, Eren.”

Eren gave her a weak smile, watching as she and Levi shared a rather somber look before she left the room, closing the door behind her.

“Where am I?” Eren finally asked Levi, who was still standing there with his arms crossed, his face blank and emotionless.

“My house,” Levi told him, and Eren was momentarily shocked. Surely this wasn’t Levi’s bed? Wasn’t the man worried he’d sweat and bleed all over the sheets?

He was about to ask why, but decided against it when he studied Levi’s face again. The man looked so tired. His hair was disheveled, his usually crisp shirt was stained with dried blood and his brows were drawn together, not in anger, but as if he were in pain. Worry suddenly shot through Eren’s gut. Had Levi been injured?

“Are you okay?” He asked, trying to sit up again, managing a little more this time around by placing his weight on his left arm.

Levi ran a hand over his face, and let out a weary sigh before sitting down on the edge of the bed, shoulders hunched. Eren had never seen him look so vulnerable and the worry only grew as the seconds passed.

“Levi?” He prompted, reaching out to touch the man’s forearm.

“Gunther’s dead.”

Eren’s breath caught in his throat. “What?” He asked, stupidly, before the words had a chance to sink in. Gunther, who had just been training him the other day; tall, stoic and _scary strong_ Gunther... was dead? 

“How?” He tried again. At least this question merited an answer.

Levi looked up from the floor, his steely eyes boring into Eren’s. “He was shot, point-blank, in the chest. He was already dead by the time Oluo and Eld found him.”

Levi’s jaw was tense and Eren’s heart ached as he realized the man was carrying the weight of Gunther’s death on his shoulders. He felt responsible, guilty. His men weren’t just disposable pawns to him, they were his friends, and Levi hadn’t even gotten to say goodbye. 

“I didn’t think…” Levi paused, turning his gaze back to the floor, swallowing harshly. “I told him to find you. I told them all to look for you. I should’ve just done it myself. You’re my responsibility, not theirs. He’s dead because of me.”

Eren’s gut sank, hands twisting into the sheets. Gunther had gotten shot while he was looking for him? It wasn’t Levi’s fault... it was his. All because he had been so stupid and reckless. If he had just listened to Levi, the other man would still be alive.

“I’m sorry, Levi,” He whimpered, tears stinging at his eyes. “I shouldn’t have… I’m sorry!”

He pulled himself up onto his knees and threw his arms around the older man, ignoring the throb of pain. It didn’t hurt as much now that the medicine had kicked in, but he deserved it anyway, he decided. 

Levi caught him awkwardly, one hand on his waist and the other pressed against his chest, ready to push him off, though he made no move to do so.

“Eren, you’re going to tear out the stitches,” He said sternly, and Eren just sobbed into his neck. How could the other man be so calm, how could he hold in all that pain? He’d lost a friend and it didn’t look like he’d even shed a single tear. Eren wasn’t that strong; he supposed he would cry for the both of them.

“It’s my fault,” He moaned, his wound aching with every heave of his chest. “You should’ve just left me there.”

“And lose two men in one night?” Levi asked, pushing the boy away enough to look into his teary eyes. “It’s not your fault, Eren. You’re not making any sense. Lay down and go back to sleep.”

Eren couldn’t put up much of a fight as Levi laid him back against the bed, sore and weak and sniffling. The drugs were making his head feel stuffy and heavy, as much as the crying was. 

He kept his good arm wrapped around Levi’s neck, fingers gripping the collar of his shirt, not wanting to let go. He didn’t want to be alone and he didn’t want Levi to have to be alone either.

“Stay, please,” He choked out, a few stray tears sliding off his cheeks to land on the pillow beneath him.

“Eren, I’m filthy. I need to shower.”

It was true, Eren had never seen Levi so unkempt and the man was probably very uncomfortable. He knew it was selfish but he couldn’t bring himself to let go just yet. 

“Will you come back?” He hiccuped.

Levi was quiet, his eyes roaming over Eren’s tear-streaked face and then nodded, lifting a hand to comb through the boy’s hair, pushing the damp strands off his forehead. Eren relaxed against the mattress, finally releasing the man’s shirt, eyes fluttering closed as he drifted back to sleep.

When he woke up again, Levi was beside him, clean and dressed in a plain t-shirt and sweatpants. It was strange to see him in something other than a suit and tie, and for the first time Eren thought the man actually looked his size. He was laying on his side, facing Eren, eyes closed but his frown as deep as ever.

Eren slowly reached out his left hand, wanting to smooth out the line between the man’s brows, but Levi’s eyes opened and he took the boy’s hand in his own, bringing it to his lips to press a gentle kiss to his knuckles before placing them back down to the bed, still loosely clasped together. Eren’s breathing hitched, heart squeezing in his chest at the gesture and for a moment, he thought he might start crying again, but he was simply too exhausted. 

He wasn’t sure how long they laid in silence for, simply gazing into each other’s eyes. Eventually sleep had taken him again and when he woke for the third time, the sun was out, streaming through a slit in the curtains, and the side of the bed Levi had occupied was empty. The blankets were made and the pillow neatly fluffed and Eren lay there, confused, wondering if he dreamt the whole thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :))))


	12. Blessed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHEW, sorry for the wait! Lost my momentum with this fic for a bit, but it's back now. Here's some bonding time and a hint of smut for y'all.

Eren rolled over to find another pill and a fresh glass of water on the nightstand and took them both gratefully as his last dose had worn off while he’d been sleeping. After draining the glass his full bladder made itself known and he carefully pushed himself out of the bed, shuffling into the en-suite bathroom to use the toilet. 

He noticed he was wearing a pair of clean sweatpants and knew they must belong to Levi because while they fit him everywhere else, they were a little too short. Having nothing else to wear, he shrugged and made his way downstairs.

The scent of bacon wafted through the air and he followed the smell into a large, well-equipped kitchen. Levi was standing at the stove in the same t-shirt and pants as the night before and Eren’s heart skipped a beat, realizing he hadn’t been dreaming after all.

“Oh, you’re up,” Levi said, glancing over his shoulder at the younger man. “How do you like your eggs?”

Eren wasn’t picky, so he shrugged, taking a seat at one of the island stools. “Doesn’t matter. Scrambled?”

Levi wrinkled his nose at that, popping two slices of bread into the toaster before cracking two eggs into a bowl and beating them with a fork. Eren watched him add a dash of milk, sprinkle in some salt and pepper and then pour the mixture into a heated pan with some butter.

“You can cook,” Eren said without thinking, and then mentally slapping himself. 

Levi looked at him, eyebrow cocked and an amused smile on his lips. “I _can_ ,” He answered slowly. “But this is just eggs and bacon. You can’t even make eggs?”

Eren looked sheepish, ducking his head a bit. “Not really.”

Levi just shook his head in disbelief, turning back to the pan to stir the eggs. He tossed a few pieces of bacon onto a plate, then added the toast, topping the slices with the cooked egg and garnishing them with some chopped chives.

Eren inhaled deeply, mouth watering when Levi slid the plate in front of him. The older man then turned back to the stove to make some over easy eggs for himself and by the time he was finished making his own breakfast, Eren had already cleaned his plate.

“Good?” Levi asked, clearly amused as he took a bite of his own bacon.

Eren nodded emphatically. “I didn’t realize I was so hungry.”

While Levi ate, leaning against the counter across from Eren, the younger man glanced around the kitchen, swinging his legs back and forth, trying to think of something to talk about. He looked back at Levi thoughtfully.

“You don’t look like the type of person to eat bacon.” He mentally slapped himself again. Why couldn’t he just have a conversation like a normal person? He decided to blame it on the painkillers, they were making his head a little foggy after all.

Levi seemed unbothered, however, and said, “Well, I’m technically Jewish but I don’t practice.”

“No, I mean you look like too much of a health nut to eat bacon,” Eren replied, then frowned. “Wait, you’re Jewish?”

Levi smirked. “Eren, I drink liquor at noon and smoke cigars. How much of a health nut can I be? What’s the point of trying to extend my life when I’ll probably just get shot dead some day. Might as well enjoy shit while I can, right?”

The older man turned away, bringing their plates over to the dishwasher and Eren stared after him, giving a slight nod, supposing the man had a point. Levi returned, leaning against the counter while studying Eren thoughtfully. 

Eren grew nervous under his scrutiny, giving him a crooked smile. “What?”

“I can’t remember the last time I took a day off. What are we supposed to do?”

Eren licked his lips, shifting in his seat. He could think of plenty of things they could do. He had a whole list of things he wanted to do with Levi, in fact. Levi’s eyes narrowed as he picked up on the slight shift in Eren’s demeanor.

“Whatever you’re thinking, the answer is no. I’m not calling Petra to come and redo your stitches because they got torn out while we were fucking.”

Eren’s face went beat red and sunk down in his seat a little, embarrassed at being chastised but also pleased with the implication that Levi would consider being intimate once Eren had healed.

“So, what do people do on days off?” Levi asked.

Eren glanced back up at him and shrugged. “We could watch a movie.”

With that decided, Levi led him into a spacious living area with a plush leather sectional and a TV as large as the one Eren had had at home. Levi had a surprisingly huge DVD collection, three shelves filled with new and old titles alike.

“Watch a lot of movies?” Eren asked as he scoped out the selection, a grin spreading across his face as he picked one off the shelf.

“No, I’ve never even opened most of them. I have a friend who buys me two every Christmas. One for Christmas itself, and one for my birthday,” Levi explained, taking the movie from Eren’s hand. His brows furrowed as he read the titled. 

“Really, Eren? They thought this one was funny, too…” He muttered, shaking his head as he popped the disc that read “Scarface” into the DVD player.

“It’s one of my favourites. Too bad my copy got burned up,” Eren reminded the man as he plopped down on the couch. Levi joined him, tossing one arm behind the back of the sectional and crossing his legs, ankle resting on his knee.

“Then you can have this one,” Levi answered, not meeting Eren’s eyes, focusing instead on the TV as the movie started. 

Eren stared at the man, a smile spreading across his face as it struck him that Levi felt guilty about destroying his home. Like any normal person should, Eren figured, but still, Levi committed crimes all the time and couldn’t afford to feel _bad._ It was nice to be reminded of Levi’s affection for him; that he saw him differently than the rest of his men and certainly not as a hostage anymore.

Feeling bold, he scooted over, closing the distance between them and laying his head down against Levi’s chest. Levi jolted in surprise but made no move to push him off. Eren’s toes curled in pleasure when the older man began combing his fingers through his hair and his eyelids began to droop before they were even twenty minutes into the movie.

When he woke up, he was alone again, curled up on the couch with a burgundy throw blanket placed over him. He sat up, and checked the clock to see he’d only been asleep for about an hour, the pain medication probably contributing to his grogginess. Standing up, he wandered through the large house, calling out Levi’s name.

“In here,” The older man’s voice led him into an office with a large desk and a computer, shelves lining the far wall, full of books and a few antique knickknacks. Levi was typing away on the laptop and Eren leaned his good shoulder against the doorjamb.

“What are you doing?” He asked.

“Working,” Levi replied, not looking away from the screen.

“I thought you said it was your day off?”

“It is, but I have nothing better to do,” Levi said, finally flicking his eyes over to Eren, amused at the way his hair stuck up in every direction.

Levi leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms behind his head. The action caused Eren to chew at his lip, recalling one of the fantasies he had about sucking Levi off at his desk. Sure, Levi wasn’t wearing one of his usual suits but he still looked cute in his grey sweats and white t-shirt. They were completely alone in his home with no risk of getting caught either, which Eren thought made the experience a little more dull than in his fantasy, but it was probably for the best.

Without giving himself time for second thoughts, he pushed away from the door frame and made his way over to Levi who eyed him curiously. Eren grabbed the back of his chair, spinning it around so the man faced him, and then resting his palms flat on his muscular thighs.

“Eren,” Levi began in an exasperated tone, instantly picking up on the boy’s intentions. “I already told you we’re not doing this.”

“I just want to suck it,” Eren pleaded, running his hands up and down the soft material of Levi’s pants, stopping inches away from his groin.

“You’ll just hurt yourself,” Levi weakly scolded, warily eyeing the pout on Eren’s mouth as the younger man slid into his lap, one long leg resting on either side of him. The brunet wrapped his arms loosely around Levi’s neck and gently rocked his hips against the older man’s. 

Levi sighed, closing his eyes, and Eren could tell he had won. He was already hard, having become aroused the moment he thought about falling to his knees in front of the man and sucking his cock. His erection prodded at Levi’s own growing member as he continued to grind his hips down in a steady rhythm. Levi’s hands gripped at his thighs, sliding up until his fingers teasingly caught the waistband of his pants. 

“I’m not wearing any underwear,” Eren told him in a husky tone, hoping it came off as sexy. If it worked for girls, why not him?

“I know,” Levi replied with a short laugh. “I was the one who dressed you and I wasn’t about to lend you some of mine.”

Without giving Eren time to think about the fact that Levi had already seen him naked, the older man began pulling down the front of his sweatpants. 

“Hey,” Eren protested. “I thought I was going to suck your dick.”

His cock sprang free from it’s confines, proudly standing at attention, and a shiver ran down his spine as Levi eyed it hungrily, the man’s tongue flicking out over his lips.

“Another time. This'll have to do for now since you can't seem to contain yourself,” He said, his eyes not leaving Eren’s cock as he lifted his ass off the chair just enough to slide his own pants down. Eren’s jaw dropped slightly when Levi’s cock was revealed, thick and flushed, and he groaned inwardly, desperately wanting a taste.

Just as he was contemplating hopping out of the chair and putting it in his mouth, stitches be damned, Levi wrapped a hand around both of their lengths, sliding them together. An embarrassingly loud moan left him at the first stroke and he clapped a hand over his mouth. Levi stared up at him, lips quirked in amusement, but eyes hazed over with lust. He pumped a loose fist over their cocks, twisting his wrist just right to have Eren panting into his palm and thrusting into the touch. 

Levi reached up and took Eren’s hand from his face, bringing it down to rest against his thigh. The brunet bit his lip hard, trying to contain the whimpers emerging from his throat. Levi rubbed his palm over the tips of their cocks, smearing the precum over them for lubrication and Eren hissed, continuing to rut against the other man.

He’d never had sex with another man before, let alone a hand job. It was so much better than doing it himself. The way Levi expertly stroked them, running his thumb along the underside of the head and pressing against the opening to collect more of the clear fluid had Eren tossing his head back, eyes slipping shut, his breathing heavy. He knew he wouldn't be able to last long.

“Nng... Levi, I’m close,” He admitted in a whine, bringing his eyes back down to meet the older man’s. Levi was clearly not as affected as Eren was, but then, he was always so hard to read. How could Eren know if he was enjoying himself or not? 

His eyes roamed over the man’s face, picking up the subtle pink glow on his cheeks and the soft parting of his lips. Looking lower, he could see the shallow rise and fall of his chest beneath the white t-shirt. He then glanced down to their cocks, watching them rub together, flushed and glistening as Levi’s hand moved over them rhythmically.

Knowing his climax was quickly approaching, Eren grabbed the hem of Levi’s shirt, lifting it over his stomach and chest, dragging his fingers across the pale flesh, catching the small, pink nipples under his nails. Levi gave a low moan at that, hips rocking upward. Eren lowered his face and captured Levi’s mouth with his own, sloppily running his tongue along the older man’s plump bottom lip. 

Feeling himself teetering at the edge, he gave a weak sob and Levi took advantage of the opening, slipping his tongue inside. Eyes squeezed shut, Eren moaned and sucked at Levi’s tongue, pulling away slightly and dragging Levi’s lip between his teeth when he reached his peak.

He came with a cry, spurts of white landing on his shirt and Levi’s bare stomach, reduced to a quivering mess in the man's lap. He rested his forehead against Levi’s, taking a few moments to recover. He opened his eyes again to watch as the older man continued to stroke their cocks, his pace growing quicker and unsteady. Just as Eren was becoming too sensitive, Levi’s back arched sharply and he groaned, eyes slamming shut as he came, his come mixing with Eren’s along his abs and dripping over his hand.

Eren cupped Levi’s face in his hands, bringing their lips together into another, softer kiss than before, swallowing down the shaky breaths leaving his mouth. Tasting blood, he pulled away to see a small bead of red pooling on Levi’s lower lip, realizing he may have bitten him too hard.

Levi licked at the drop, heavy-lidded eyes regarding Eren thoughtfully.

“Are you always this rough?”

Eren’s eyes lowered to the streaks of red adorning the man’s chest from where his nails had scratched. Had he annoyed Levi by being too aggressive? He hadn’t been able to help himself, so caught up in the moment. His cheeks flushed brighter than they already were and he leaned back, forcing himself to meet Levi’s gaze again.

“Is that bad?” He asked quietly.

Levi licked at his lip again, thumbs rubbing circles on Eren’s hipbones as he shook his head.

“I like it.”

Satisfied with that answer, Eren looked up through his lashes, a coy grin on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are appreciated! As always, thanks for reading!


	13. Sinners

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayy, I'm attempting to continue this fic. This chapter is a little short, but... here ya go!

Nile was still seething. The deal he’d had his men intercept the night before had gone through regardless. He’d lost a good portion of his crew, and had nothing to show for it, no drugs, no money, absolutely fuck all. Even with Kenny gone, the east side gang were still a formidable rival. Nile knew why, it was the bastard’s nephew. He was clever and damn good shot just like his uncle had been. 

The only consolation he had was that they’d gotten a few of his lackeys too, even managed to take out one of his most important men. It was a small victory but Nile clung to it, knowing Levi’s entourage was dwindling, making him an easier target in the end.

There was a knock on the door, surprising Nile out of his hatred-fueled daze. “Come in,” He snapped. The door swung open and a petite blonde waltzed up to his desk, tossing down a small stack of photos.

“He’s got Eren,” She said.

Nile flipped through them to see his Levi walking down the street with a young brunet, the two of them going into a nearby gym, another of them heading into the shooting range, and several photos of the two of them caught in a what looked to be a suggestive position in the older man’s car. It was hard to tell through the dark tint, but another photo of them both climbing out the driver’s side door confirmed his suspicions.

“You’re sure this is Grisha’s son?” Nile asked, glancing up at the small blonde woman standing on the other side of his desk. She nodded.

“I suppose you would know,” He said with a shit-eating grin. He’d hired Annie to keep an eye on Grisha over the past several months, under the guise of being a housekeeper, before he decided to follow through with his plan. Grisha had been the weak link, a guaranteed way to get to Kenny. 

“Doesn’t this just tie everything together so nicely?” He asked, his mood doing a complete 180, bordering on gleeful. It was lucky that he hadn’t killed Grisha like he’d first intended. Keeping a doctor around had proven useful, even if said doctor was being held against his will, but of course, a gun to the head was all the motivation the man needed to do his work.

Annie didn’t look nearly excited as Nile felt, hands tucked in the front pocket of her hoodie as she stared him down with that bored gaze. The grin fell from his face, and he sighed, “I suppose you want your money.”

He handed her over a thick stack of cash and she flipped through the bills, quickly counting it. Annie was a young thug willing to do anything for a buck. She was bit of a wild card, not fully initiated into his gang, but the promise of steady cash seemed to hold her loyalty thus far. 

“Continue to keep an eye on them for me. Bring me anything important.”

The blonde gave a curt nod and left his office. Nile picked up one of the photos again, curiously eyeing the young man who seemed quite comfortable walking side by side with the rival mob leader. Several weeks prior, Annie had brought him intel that Levi’s men had gone to Grisha’s home and kidnapped the boy, but judging by these pictures, it didn’t look like he was being held against his will any longer. 

It seemed that Levi was holding onto the kid in the hopes that Grisha would come looking for him. Little did he know that Grisha was locked up in the cellar of Nile’s headquarters, and all the stolen cash had lined his own pockets, not the doctor’s. 

When his men had first brought Grisha to him, Nile had promised that in exchange for information, he would be given protection and a very generous amount of money, enough that he and his son could flee the country and start a new life, one untainted by crime, and the man had fallen for it. 

Nile knew that people were stupid when it came to their loved ones, it was an easily exploitable weakness, and it was clear that Levi had made the mistake of allowing himself to get too close to the boy. Even if it wasn’t love, per se, it was obvious Eren had taken on a special role in Levi’s life. Now, Eren Jaeger was a weapon that could be used against him, and that’s exactly what Nile intended to do. 

If he could get his hands on him, lure him in with the promise of seeing his father, then Levi would surely follow. All Nile needed to do was set a trap for him to fall into. With Levi gone, the rival gang would be disbanded, and the eastern half of the town would be free for Nile to take, meaning all of Sina’s drug cartels and black markets would be under his thumb.

Needing a break from the stuffiness of the office, he rose from his chair, making his way through the building down to the cellars. His men greeted him as he passed and he hardly spared them a glance. The cellar was dark, cold and damp, the space used only for housing crates of various weapons, for torture, or in Grisha’s case, confinement. Nile stepped up to the cell where the old man was sitting on the floor, his head resting against the wall, eyes closed.

“I’ve got some news about your son,” He said conversationally, pulling a pack of smokes from his pocket. Grisha’s eyes popped open and he looked at the man with desperation. Nile let him wait in suspense as he lit his cigarette, taking a long drag.

“Is he alright?” Grisha asked, his voice raw from disuse.

“Oh, he’s fine. From what I’ve heard he’s your old boss’s new fucktoy. I guess Ackerman didn’t take too kindly to your betrayal.”

Grisha looked pained, and Nile reveled in it. Grisha’s expression suddenly turned angry and Nile was sure if the man had more strength, he’d be standing and clawing at him through the bars of his cell.

“You’re lying!” He growled from his spot on the floor.

“See for yourself,” Nile said, tossing the man one of the photos. It was a side view shot of Levi’s car, the driver’s door hanging open to reveal Eren seated on the older man’s lap, his hands cupping the older man’s face. Grisha picked up the photograph with a shaky hand, taking a moment to focus his eyes in the dim lighting. A broken sob escaped his throat and he dropped the photo, covering his face with his hands, weakly shaking his head.

“This is all your fault!” He cried, the sound muffled by his palms.

“I suppose it is, a little, but you did your part by trusting me in the first place,” Nile shot back with a laugh. “Don’t worry, though. I have a plan to get your son back, so I can finally kill that cocky son of a bitch, Levi.”

Grisha looked up at him again, his expression hopeless, unshed tears in his eyes. “You’re only going to kill us too in the end.”

Nile shrugged, ashing his smoke on the floor. “Actually, if all of this goes according to plan, and your son isn’t a complete moron, I’ll be in such a good mood that I might just let you both go. I might even throw you a few bucks to keep your mouths shut and leave town like we originally agreed.”

Grisha’s face was impassive and it was clear he wasn’t about to trust the other man again.

“Well, I just thought I’d let you know that your son will be joining you in this cell soon enough,” Nile said, dropping his smoke on the stone floor and stomping it out with his foot. “I can see the news has rendered you speechless with excitement, so you can thank me later.”

Grisha hung his head as the other man walked away.

Several days later, Annie returned to Nile’s office with a single photo.

“They haven’t been at headquarters,” She explained. “But I followed that redhead to his house yesterday. He’s got a few guys guarding the place so I didn’t stick around, but Eren’s gotta be there with him.”

Nile stared down at the photo of a familiar black car pulling out of a garage, the only proof that it was, in fact, Levi’s home. 

“I’m not going back. Do what you want with this information.” Annie reached into her pocket and handed him a small, folded sheet of paper with an address scribbled on it, and Nile’s veins flooded with adrenaline. This was the opening he’d been waiting for.


	14. Justify the Wrong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's some smut! And angst. Smangst.

The pain in Eren’s shoulder had lessened as the days passed, going from a sharp sting to a dull throb. Petra had come by again to change the dressing and seemed relieved to see that it was healing so well, all things considered.

She advised him to stop taking the narcotic pain killers and opt for some anti-inflammatories instead, lest he develop a dependency, so he started talking ibuprofen. By the end of the week, he was down to two pills a day, one in the morning and one at night.

Swallowing his evening dose, Eren drained the glass of water on the nightstand before rolling over in the huge bed, snuggling up to Levi who seemed intent on getting a decent night’s sleep. Not if Eren could help it. The brunet walked two fingers down the man’s bare chest, teasingly tracing the band of his underwear but Levi’s hand snatched his wandering one before he could have any real fun.

“Go to sleep you little shit,” He mumbled groggily, eyes closed. Eren snorted, taking the man’s hand in his own and bringing it down to press it to his own rapidly hardening member. Levi’s fingers moved on instinct, curling around him through the fabric of his boxers.

“You’re insatiable,” He muttered, sleepily gazing up at the brunet. Eren couldn’t deny it. He’d thought their little tryst in Levi’s office would satisfy him, but he only wanted more. His persistence led to thigh-fucking in the tub, a blow job in the shower, rimming and fingering in the bed, but Levi had yet to really fuck him like he wanted.

“An orgasm before bed might help us sleep better,” Eren suggested, his tone deceptively innocent. The prostate orgasm he’d had the night before had just been a tease. If Levi’s fingers could do that, imagine what his cock could do.

Levi breathed heavily through his nose, a sigh of defeat, his hand slipping under the waistband of Eren’s boxers, wrapping around his erection and stroking it from base to tip, thumb brushing over the head. Eren gasped, grabbing the man’s hand to stop him.

“No, not like that,” He nearly whined. “I want you to fuck me properly.”

“You’re so persistent,” Levi grumbled. “You’ve still got those stitches in your shoulder and you want me shoving my cock up your ass?” 

“Uh, yeah!” Eren rolled his eyes. “I’ve been trying to get you to fuck me for days now and you always find some way around it.”

“Because I don’t want you in any more pain than you’re already in.”

“You’re not going to hurt me. I just had your fingers inside me last night and I feel fine.”

“My dick is bigger than my fingers,” Levi pointed out and Eren groaned.

“Not that much bigger.”

“That’s just rude” Levi scoffed. “See if you ever get this dick now.”

The older man rolled onto his other side, snuggling into his pillow and Eren laughed at the playful display, latching himself onto Levi’s back.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it,” he chuckled softly, pressing a kiss against the shell of Levi’s ear. The older man didn’t budge, so Eren tried another tactic. He sucked his earlobe between his lips, gently nibbling on it before whispering, “I just need your thick, hard cock inside me, Levi. I want to feel it stretching me open and filling me up.” He felt Levi tense under him and smirked to himself before continuing, “Don’t you want to get inside my tight little—”

Eren’s back hit the mattress and he gave a surprised yelp. Levi hovered over him, adjusting himself between his thighs.

“Eager little shit. Look what you do to me, Eren,” He groaned, punctuating the statement with a roll of his hips, grinding their clothed erections together. “You want it that bad?”

“God, yes,” Eren sighed as he wrapped his legs around Levi’s waist, locking his ankles together, afraid the older man would change his mind. He reached up with his good arm, cupping the back of Levi’s neck and pulling him down into a kiss. 

As their tongues lazily moved together, Levi propped himself on one elbow, his free hand ghosting along Eren’s side, thumb rubbing circles over a protruding hip bone and then sliding back up to tease a nipple between his fingers. He broke the kiss, ducking down to suck at the curve of Eren’s neck, working his way back up the boy’s jaw as his hips continued their slow, rhythmic movements.

Eren arched his back to meet each thrust, his nails digging into the man’s shoulder. Levi found a particularly sensitive spot on his collarbone and Eren gasped, his thighs squeezing harder around Levi’s waist. 

“Hurry up,” the brunet whined, using his other hand to tug at Levi’s hair.

Levi lifted his head, meeting the boy’s needy gaze with amusement. “What’s the rush? You got somewhere to be?”

Eren bit his lip in frustration. “No, but I’m gonna come in my shorts if we keep going like this.”

“Well, I don’t know how you expect me to do anything when you’ve got me in an iron grip.” Levi tapped Eren’s upper thigh, proving his point.

Eren gave a sheepish grin, unfurling his legs from behind the man’s back. Now that he was able to move, Levi reached into the nightstand, pulling out a strip of condoms and a bottle of lube. 

“You must do this a lot,” Eren noted, eyeing the items in Levi’s hands with distaste.

“What, are you jealous?” Levi asked, glancing up from the small foil packets he had been trying to read in the dim light. Eren scowled, shoving his foot into the man’s side and Levi grinned, shaking his head. “You think there would be so many left if I did this often? I’m making sure they aren’t expired.”

Eren’s face softened. “Oh.”

In the next moment, his underwear were gone, expertly tossed into the laundry hamper, followed by Levi’s. Eren sat up on his elbow to get a better look at the man between his legs. Levi was sitting on his haunches, popping open the bottle of lube and spreading a generous amount on his fingers. Eren’s gaze dropped between the man’s thighs and his heart pounded in his chest.

Logically, he knew Levi wasn’t huge, but it was thick enough that Eren felt a mixture of excitement and trepidation at the thought of it being inside him. 

“You’re right, it’s a lot bigger than your fingers,” Eren said with a nervous laugh as Levi grabbed ahold of his ankle with his clean hand.

Levi paused, eyes searching Eren’s face. “Changed your mind?”

Eren shook his head before flopping back against the pillow, grinning impishly. “Not a chance, old man. Give it to me.”

Levi muttered something along the lines of “oh, I’ll give it you, you cocky little shit,” a wry smirk on his lips as his lube slicked fingers found Eren’s hole, the pad of his index finger rubbing slow, firm circles against the ring of muscle. It slipped inside easily enough and he took his time working him up to accept a second finger. 

Eren began rocking back against his hand, eyes squeezed shut, mouth hanging open, moaning everytime Levi’s fingers brushed against that bundle of nerves inside him. 

“I could do this all day,” Levi sighed, content with simply watching the brunet come undone beneath him.

“Levi!” Eren growled, his eyes snapping open to glare at the older man. A firm upward stroke pulled a weak cry from his throat, sending his head back into the pillow.

“It’s hard to feel threatened when you’re moaning like that with my fingers up your ass,” Levi shot back and Eren whimpered in response.

A third finger was added, slowly worked in along the others, and it was snug, but not painful. Eren panted heavily, his cock leaking against his stomach. “It’s good, I’m good, please put it in,” he rambled, lifting himself up to hook an arm around Levi’s neck, pulling him down on top of him. Levi’s fingers slid out, and he caught himself against the mattress, not wanting to crush the younger man. Eren’s mouth was on his, hot, wet and demanding as he lifted his ass, insistently rubbing the cleft of it against Levi’s cock.

“Wait, wait,” Levi breathed, pulling away and searching around for the strip of condoms. Eren lazily stroked himself as he watched Levi roll a condom on, slicking his length with more lube.

The older man looked around for something to wipe his hand on, and muttered “fuck it”, smearing the excess onto the blanket before climbing over Eren again, lining himself up with the boy’s entrance. Eren wrapped his legs around him again, heels digging into Levi’s ass, urging him forward. Eren moaned shamelessly as he was filled at an achingly slow pace, and Levi released the breath he’d been holding, something between a sigh and a groan as he bottomed out. 

“Finally,” Eren breathed, closing his eyes and relishing the feeling of being filled so completely. His fingers scraped along the shaved bit of hair at the base of his neck, as he pressed a kiss to the older man’s temple. “Move please, Levi.”

Levi gave a faint nod, biting out, “Yeah, gimme a second. Fuck, you’re tight.”

He started slow, sliding almost all the way out, and then back in again, wanting to drag this out as long as possible, but soon enough, Eren’s nails were digging into his back and the boy was begging him, “faster, harder, Levi, please.”

Unable to deny him, Levi hooked his arms behind Eren’s knees, angling them just right and then set a near bruising pace, striking the boy’s prostate with each thrust. He could always tease him later, but for now, they both needed this.

Eren fisted his cock at the same speed and it wasn’t long before he was crying out, toes curling as he spilled across his chest, his insides clenching around Levi like a vice. A few more thrusts in that tight, warm sheath and Levi was done for, the boy’s name slipping from his lips as he shuddered through his own orgasm. 

He took a moment to catch his breath before pulling away, removing the condom and tying it off with clumsy fingers before tossing it into the small bin beside the bed. Before he had the chance to move, Eren’s arms were around his neck again, pulling him back down into a lazy kiss.

The feel of cooled come smearing between them should have been disgusting but Levi couldn’t bring himself to care at the moment, too focused on the boy sighing contentedly beneath him. Pressing a final kiss to Eren’s pouty lips, Levi pulled away and fell back against the mattress, his heart still pounding with exertion and something else. Eren curled up to his side, snuggling into the shared pillow. 

“It’s a good thing I don’t have any close neighbours,” Levi said, breaking the silence. “You’re fucking loud.”

Eren scoffed. “Yeah? Well next time, I’ll be on top, and you’ll be the one screaming instead.”

Levi raised his brows, giving a surprised laugh. “Cheeky little brat, aren’t you?”

Eren grinned sleepily in response before closing his eyes. He was passed out in minutes, and Levi rolled onto his side, studying the boy’s face. He looked so youthful, his skin smooth and unblemished. No scars, no worry lines between his brows like the ones Levi had. The realization of how young and inexperienced Eren was hit Levi like a suckerpunch to the gut.

His gaze lowered to the gauze wrapped around the boy’s shoulder and he felt overwhelmed with guilt, an emotion he’d gotten so good at repressing over the years. It was his fault that Eren had been shot. The kid probably would’ve been spending his summer at the beach with friends, carefree and stupid, but instead, he’d been sleeping in a basement, scrubbing floors and training to kill people. All because of Levi. 

Of all the fucked up things Levi had done in his life, ruining Eren’s would be the most despicable. The kid had a good future waiting for him and Levi didn’t want to stand in the way of that, even if it meant giving up his plan for retaliation. Fuck the money, fuck Grisha Jaeger. Levi cared too much about Eren to use him as a tool for revenge.

The worst part was the kid thought it was all a game. He didn’t fully understand what he was getting into, simply letting Levi blindly lead him into a life of crime. Eren had somehow wormed his way into Levi’s heart, but it was clear there was no place for him in his life. There was no way to make it work in both their favour. 

The idea of letting Eren go hurt a lot more than Levi could have anticipated and he rubbed at his chest, trying to soothe the ache that settled there. Eren didn’t even have a home to go to, Levi realized, frowning to himself. Thanks to him. He’d have to rectify that. 

Eren woke up in the morning to find Levi gone, which wasn’t unusual since the man didn’t sleep long. He climbed out of bed, shuffling to the bathroom to relieve himself before throwing on a pair of shorts he found in the dresser and made his way downstairs. He searched for Levi but the man wasn’t in the kitchen or living room, so he headed for his office, coming to a stop by the door when he heard him speaking to someone over the phone.

“Find him something decent. I don’t know, an apartment downtown? He’d probably like that. I don’t care how much, just make sure it’s nice.”

Eren peeked his head around the door and Levi glanced over his shoulder at him, wrapping up the conversation. “Yeah, I gotta go. I’ll be there in a bit.”

Levi pocketed his phone as Eren stepped into the office. “What was that about?” He asked.

“I’m getting you your own place,” Levi told him, not bothering to beat around the bush.

“What for? I like it here,” Eren said, swallowing nervously. “You don’t want me to stay anymore?”

Levi ran a hand over his face, sighing, “No, you shouldn’t.”

The words cut deep, and Eren’s lip trembled. “What the hell, Levi? You fuck me and then kick me out?” He demanded, taking his sadness and turning it into anger, the only way he knew how to deal with the overwhelming emotion.

“I’m not…” Levi stopped himself, unsure of what to say. “You’re not being kicked out. I’m letting you go.”

“What if I don’t want to go?” Eren asked, eyes brimming with tears of frustration. “I like being with you, and working with you, learning from you. I like Petra and Eld…” He trailed off weakly, unable to hold back a sob.

“We’re not doing this anymore, Eren,” Levi said firmly, grabbing a set of keys from his desk. “You don’t deserve this.”

As he passed by, Eren grabbed his shoulders, shoving him against the wall. “No, I don’t deserve this! I’ve been good, I’ve done everything you’ve asked. You can’t just make me love you and then cut me off like this!”

Levi eyed him sadly, shaking his head. “That’s the thing, Eren. This isn’t love, it’s infatuation. You don’t understand what you’re saying, or what you're getting yourself into.” 

Eren fisted the front of the man’s shirt, giving him a pleading look. “You saw something in me, right? When we met, you saw something worthwhile in me. Don’t go back on that now, please. Don’t treat me like I’m just some stupid kid.”

Levi grabbed his hand, pushing it away. “Then don’t act like a stupid kid.”

He gave him one final, piercing look and then turned away. Eren watched him leave before sinking to the floor, crying softly with his head in his hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos are appreciated! <3


End file.
